Serendipity

Serendipity is the act of finding valuable or pleasant things by chance, especially when you are not specifically looking for them. It's a form of good fortune or "happy accident," where a happy discovery occurs unintentionally. 

 

My life as a nomad has been full of serendipitous moments, too many to count or remember, but a few of these moments really stand out. 

Coffee and Dog Watching

Early one morning in Galveston TX, I decided to find a coffee shop and have a coffee and a bite to eat. I found a nice place that had outside seating. I was sitting there enjoying my morning coffee as two women approached the coffee shop with their cute black lab mix named Abby. They didn’t allow dogs inside so they were going to take turns going in to order. 

I noticed their little dilemma and asked them if they wanted me to watch their dog so they could go in together. They said thank you and handed me the leash and went into the shop to make their orders.

This sweet little puppy came right over to me and licked my hand. It was like we had known each other forever. I got down on the sidewalk and started rubbing her belly and giving her hugs. 

We were having a good time playing when the ladies came out and found a table. The owner came over to retrieve Abby and thank me. I said go and enjoy your coffee and conversation, I will keep Abby company. The lady smiled and said thank you again. 

I think she realized that it wasn’t me keeping Abby company, but Abby was keeping me company. It was another wonderful encounter on the road. 

Thanksgiving with Old Friend 

As I was traveling across the country during my first year being a nomad, I started posting pictures and trave updates on Facebook. As my first Thanksgiving on the road approached, I received a message on Facebook from a friend that I grew up with asking me what I was doing for the holiday. She and her family lived in the Phoenix area now and she invited me to join them for Thanksgiving dinner. 

What a wonderful surprise! I accepted and spent two wonderful days with them and their family. My first real home cooked meal in a long time. 

We enjoyed an amazing dinner, shared great conversation, played some cornhole, sat around their pool and had a grand time together.

Thanks Diane and Joe, a wonderful Thanksgiving that I won’t soon forget.

Cross in the Desert

As I was driving up US-93 in Texas, I noticed a huge cross in the distance as I approached Ballinger, Texas. I made a detour to check this out, driving down a rough dirt road to the base of the cross. 

I had no idea at the time what the story was about the cross, but I was glad it was there. There was very little information at the cross but there were a few pictures and a guest book located near the base of the cross. 

I spent some time there praying and reflecting on my journey so far. I am very grateful that I have been given this opportunity to travel around North America, seeing amazing things and places and meeting some incredible people.

I later discovered that the cross was commissioned by the Studer family, owners of a large fertilizer company. Mr. Studer and his wife wanted to erect the cross as a thank you to the ‘good Lord for all He’s done for us’.

The cross is just under 100 feet tall, and the arms of the cross are 70 feet tip to tip. It can be seen for miles.

Seeing this cross and spending time there made my day! It's moments like this that make me smile and give thanks for all the good Lord has done for me!

Last Walk

I was staying near Caspar Headlands State Beach in Northern California several years ago when I decided to take an early morning walk on the beach. I looked down the beach I saw a woman walking her Golden Retriever and noticed the dog wasn’t moving too well. As they got closer, I noticed the dog was pretty old and was struggling walking on the sand. When he saw me, he picked up his head and walked directly up to me. He leaned up against me looking directly up at me. The lady was surprised because he is usually very shy around strangers. I told her that I love dogs, especially goldens and that I had raised goldens in the past to be seeing eye dogs. Apparently, we had a connection. We sat down in the sand and talked about dogs and their unconditional love. She started to cry a bit and told me that this morning was their last walk on the beach together, the dog had cancer, and she was going to put him to sleep after their walk on the beach. He always loved to run and play on the beach and in the surf and she wanted to give him one last visit to his favorite spot. 

We spent some time together and hopefully I was able to provide some comfort to her and her dog that morning. It was a very emotional morning for me. I had put my buddy, Marley down just 2 years earlier so I knew how she was feeling. 

Dogs are Awesome.

Hiking Kids

As I was leaving the desert after the winter season a friend mentioned that I should stop in Patagonia, AZ on my way east. She said it is a beautiful area with amazing waterfalls and scenery. So I headed that way to check it out, without checking Google first. 

I drove into this small town, population 945, and a small main street. I looked on Google Maps for the way to the ‘amazing waterfalls’ and nothing showed up. I decided to grab a cup of coffee and ask the owner where the waterfalls were. The lady behind the counter said aren’t any waterfalls anywhere near the town. I explained what I was told and she just laughed and gave me a cup of coffee on the house.

I went outside and sat on the front porch. Trying to figure out where to go next, I noticed a 20-something couple opening a box of food supplies and asked them where they were heading. They said they are hiking the Arizona Trail before going back east to start their jobs. They told me the trail is about 800 miles long and crosses the entire state south to north. 

They had flown out from Boston and really didn’t have all equipment they needed for the hike; they didn’t have any knives or other safety equipment because of the TSA regulations when flying. I asked them if they at least had bear spray or pepper spray and they didn’t. I told them to wait a minute, and I went to my rig and got an extra can of bear spray and a pepper spray canister to give to them. They were really appreciative, and I wished them good luck, finished my coffee and got back on the road. 

I never did get to see any waterfalls that day, but I had another great serendipitous encounter on the road! 

I hope they made it and didn’t need to use the items I gave them.

Pastor Ricky

I was boondocking near the Mississippi River in Memphis and decided to walk down to the riverbank and have my coffee and do some journaling. There was a gentleman sitting on a bench listening to some Christian music. I asked if I could join him and he said sure. We sat there for a bit, looking over the Mississippi and soaking in the music and the beautiful morning.

After some time, he turned down the music and introduced himself. Pastor Ricky is a Baptist minister at a local church, and he went on to share his testimony with me. Growing up he was in and out of jail for drug related crimes. Eventually things got much worse and he was convicted of strong-arm robbery and spent 8 years in state prison, and while there he knew he needed to make some serious changes to his lifestyle and decided to devote his life to serving God and his community. After his release from prison, he went to school and became an ordained minister and started a church in Memphis. 

I shared my testimony with him and then we prayed together and hugged. What a moment! He said we needed a selfie together right there on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi.

Thanks, Pastor Ricky, for a very special moment there in that little park along the river.

Old Grist Mill

I was wondering around Nova Scotia, Canada with no destination in mind, until I saw a sign for Balmoral Grist Mill. I decided to check it out. 

It was located down a few country roads and some dirt roads, but I’m used to that kind of travel. After a bumpy ride I made it to the parking lot, but it looked abandoned or closed. 

I walked to the front door and found it open and I entered. It was open and there were two volunteers inside patiently waiting for visitors. I was the only visitor they’d seen in 3 days, so they were anxious to tell me all about the place. 

The mill was opened in 1874 and continues to be a working mill today. All the machinery is run by a series of pullies and leather or rope straps.

The volunteers were very informative and had great stories to tell. They asked me about my travels and gave me some great information about other things to do in the area.

I had a wonderful time and the two volunteers started following me on Facebook and continue to follow my travels and share information about Nova Scotia. 

And to think, I was about to pass this neat place up and miss meeting some new friends.

Hiking Family

 

Early in my journey, I was driving through Alabama early one Sunday morning and was heading to hike at a National Natural Landmark, Dismals Canyon. I wasn’t really feeling up to a hike that morning and almost passed the place. I’m so glad I didn’t.

 

As I was hiking through the canyon, I took a side trail up to a place named Pulpit Rock. I was standing up there enjoying the view across the canyon when a family of four came around the corner. They didn’t have a trail guide, so they didn’t know this spot was named Pulpit Rock. I explained the significance of this location and some other information about the area.

 

As I was getting ready to leave, the husband turned to me and asked me if I wanted to stay and pray with them and share some Bible readings, of course I would like to join them. The husband prayed for all of us and then the wife shared her favorite Bible verse, which happened to be the same verse that my home church back in Virginia studied that very morning!

We shared our testimonies; it was an incredible morning. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t get their contact information, but I will always remember the time I spent with them and this first of many serendipitous moments on the road.

John Smith

I was passing through the town I grew up in and decided to check out the house where I grew up. It has been over 40 years since I lived there so I didn’t expect to run into anyone I knew. As I turned down my old street, I recognized a guy that was out cutting his grass. It was the legendry John Smith, a good friend of our family for many years and just an awesome person. He and his wife had moved into a home 2 houses away from my old house. We had a good talk, and it was good catching up with him. 

I remembered that I had been carrying around a metal sign in my rig since hitting the road, it was from the Absecon Indians Baseball team which my grandfather managed/coached many years ago. When I downsized to get on the road it didn’t know what to do with it, so I just kept it in the RV. John, being a longtime resident of Absecon and legendary member of the community, I figured he would enjoy having it for his mancave. 

Another serendipitous moment connecting with an old friend.

Lady near Blue Ridge Parkway

After a visit back to Virginia, I decided to drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway. It had been many years since I did that drive, so even though I was heading northwest, I decided to head south and enjoy a few days on the Parkway.

About halfway down the Parkway, I decided to get a campground for a couple of nights to enjoy the beautiful views and relax for a few days. I parked down a few spots from another rig, the campground wasn’t very full. That evening, I took a walk around the campground. I stopped and said hello to my neighbors and chatted for a bit. It was a mother and son camping together. Apparently, her husband had passed recently and this campground had been one of their favorite spot. The son took his mom there to spend a week to enjoy the memories. That was really cool.

I went back to my rig, had dinner and enjoyed the evening. The next morning the son came over and asked me if I could do him a favor, he got called away for his job and was going to be gone for a few days and asked if I would keep an eye on his mom and make sure she was doing ok while he was gone. Sure, not a problem. I decided to extend my stay for a few extra nights to help him out.

There was absolutely no cell coverage at the campground, and I needed to drive a few miles up the hill to get service as I needed to make a few calls. I told my neighbor that I would be gone for about an hour since I needed to drive up the hill, and she said that I could take her car so I wouldn’t need to unhook from the campground. How nice was that, a complete stranger offering me the use of her car.

I made the drive out of the valley, got a cell signal and made my calls and returned her car. The son returned a few days later and thanked me for helping him out.

Everything worked out just perfect, and I had another memorable moment on the road!

Men’s Breakfast 

I was parked overnight in the parking lot at Katy Community Fellowship church, with their permission. The next morning, I was preparing to leave when I noticed a bunch of cars in the parking lot. It was early on a Saturday morning, so I was wondering why all the cars were there. I went on their website and saw that they were having a men’s breakfast, and decided to walk over and join them, free breakfast and conversation is always good.

There were about 20 men in the fellowship hall having coffee and preparing breakfast. They invited me in and set me up with a huge breakfast. It was a wonderful gathering of men sitting around fellowshipping and sharing stories.

One fellow told some fascinating stories about being a missionary in Alaska for 30 years, helping the people in the remote villages with medical care, food supplies and spiritual guidance. 

Another fellow was a biker, and he traveled around the country to motorcycle rallies, praying for the riders and blessing their motorcycles before the rides. I asked him if he ever blessed an RV and he replied, ‘not yet’. We all headed outside, and everyone laid hands on my RV, and he blessed my rig and said a prayer for my safe travels and good health.

Another special moment in my life as a nomad.

Parking at the Gateway Arch

I was driving around St Louis a couple years ago and decided it would be cool to try and get a picture of my rig near the Gateway Arch. I got directions to a parking lot on the levee right on the Mississippi River. I entered the lot and took the ticket. 

I drove up the levee and got a great parking spot right below the Arch. I took a few pictures and walked around and under the Arch. I spent about an hour there and finally decided to get back on the road. 

As I got the parking kiosk to pay the attendant said, ‘you didn’t stay long, didn’t you enjoy yourself?’ I replied, ‘I had a great time, I really just wanted to get a picture of my RV in front of the Arch.’ It should have cost me $15 to park there, but the attendant said ‘No charge, I am glad you got a good spot and enjoyed the Arch. Come back and visit again.’ 

Wow, what a nice guy!

Bama

My dear friend Bill, who passed away not long before I started my life as a nomad, and who my RV is named after, went to the University of Alabama, the Crimson Tide.

Within my first week on the road, I was traveling through North Carolina on my way to visit some friends. I got lost on my way to their house and went down a side street and there parked on the side of the road was a huge motorcoach painted in the colors of the University of Alabama. If I hadn’t taken a wrong turn I never would have seen it. That was my first ‘sign’ that Bill was watching over me and with me on my travels.

There have been many more signs that Bill is watching over me, but the coolest one was while I was visiting Yellowstone. I pulled into a small parking lot to take some pictures. After I got out and started taking picture, a gold Bronco pulled in and parked right next to me. The front license plate said ‘BAMA’. Another sign from Bill. 

A family of four got out of the Bronco and we started chatting, I told them about Bill and my encounters with random Bama folks around the country. Both the mother and father and the two grown children attended Alabama and the 4 of them swam for the university, just like Bill. 

Thanks for watching over me Bill, I love you pal.

Oceanfront Camping at Reach Knolls

Three summers ago, I was up in Maine waiting for my brother and his family to arrive for their biennial visit to Bar Harbor. I decided to look for a campground for a few nights while I was waiting for them.

I Googled campgrounds in the area and found one that looked nice and wasn’t too far from where they were going to be staying. I emailed the owner and reserved a spot for 3 nights.

What an amazing place with amazing owners, Oceanfront Camping at Reach Knolls has become my absolute favorite place to camp when I’m not boondocking. The owners, Lori and Paul are the best. Lori's mom, Carol, works there as well and is such a lovely person. They have become dear friends and are like family now.

I’ve returned 3 years in a row and have already made plans to stay there for a good part the summer in 2026!

Thanks, Google, for returning great search results and for the perfect place to stay in Maine.

Life is full of surprises and serendipity. Being open to unexpected turns in the road is an important part of success. If you try to plan every step, you may miss those wonderful twists and turns. Just find your next adventure-do it well, enjoy it-and then, not now, think about what comes next.

~ Condoleezza Rice