One Way to Cabo

Robin Greenfield hitchhiking barefoot and shirtless by the road.
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November 21st, 2012:

“I purchased a one way flight to Cabo, Mexico and leave the morning of November 23rd.

I am bringing no possessions except my passport, phone, and the clothes on my body. Not a dollar, not a peso, and not a credit card. I have made no arrangements in advance but can use any means to survive and return home except using my own finances, promising money upon my return home, or calling back to the USA to get funds.
The plan is to get by on a day to day basis, play in the sun, explore, and make it back to San Diego before December.
I will work, provide entertainment, or trade goods in exchange for money, food, lodging, or anything I need. I hope to not accept any money without work but if I do, for every $1 I receive I will spend $3 on school supplies for children in rural Mexico upon my return.
Cabo to my home in San Diego is 804 miles via sky, 1,052 miles via road, and approximately 860 miles via water. Possible means I will use to return are airplane, bus, catching a ride, hitching, and sailboat.”

 

The purpose of this journey was to immerse in humanity in the rawest form. By traveling with no money I would end up in places that I would not otherwise have gone and meet people I never would have had the opportunity to meet. Without money for transport and accommodation I would be forced to really immerse in humanity and to meet every day, genuine human beings on the streets and in their homes.

This was also part of my quest to learn to live without money and to reduce my dependency on the monetary system, which is at the center of so much of the destruction that is currently taking place on earth. By landing in a far away place with no money, I would be forced to learn how to get by without access to funds. It would be a test of my skills and a chance to develop my skills further. Resourcefulness, problem solving and critical thinking are key skills to self-sufficiency and sustainable living and traveling with no money creates the perfect scenario to practice these skills. I also desire to live simply and this journey provides the grounds to practice simple living and to embrace it deeply. I believe that we grow most when we are outside of our comfort zones. Sitting at home with everything I need allows for complacency and stagnation. It is when I am outside of my comfort zone and pushing my limits that I am able to develop into the human that I want to be and make great leaps forward.

It was also for the sake of adventure and exploration, something that gives me a deep reason to live and a deep sense of fulfillment and purpose. I was on a quest for knowledge and experiences that would better myself and help me to better the world too.

Doing headstands on the street to earn a little money

 

Here is an entry I wrote from an experience near the end of the journey:
This is me hitching home in Mexico without a peso in my pocket, pillow case on my head to keep me warm, frozen to the bone, wedged in the back of this truck with just a few inches of wiggle room for 900 miles of bumpy roads.  Yet somehow there I am with a smile on my face.  I could have been miserable but I chose to be happy.  Something I’ve learned through my adventures is if you don’t have any expectations it’s much easier to be happy.  Live day by day. Take it all in.  Be present in the moment whatever that moment may be.  Joy can be found in any situation.  Learn from your experiences, embrace the situations you find yourself in, and remember the sun will always rise to shed light on a new day.”

Robin Mexico

My message upon making it home to San Diego December 3rd 2012:

“I’M HOME!!! 1,360 miles, 11 rides, 54 hours on the road, 17 in the back of a truck full of fish, just a handful of hours of sleep, past 1 million cactuses. It was one of the most exhausting times in my life, 2 of the coldest nights in my life, mostly happiness, but some despair, hopelessness, and helplessness. Infinite thanks goes to all the people who picked me up and helped me along the way.”

A few months later, I carried out my promise to pay it forward for all that helped me financially and brought much-needed school supplies to an orphanage in Ensenada, Mexico and spent time with the children. I gave $3 in school supplies for every $1 that he I gifted on the journey.

Robin Greenfield - One Way to Cabo

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