You can learn a magic trick, but you can’t will Serendipity. Five years ago, I wrote a blog post in the form of a fable about three sisters: Serendipity, Synchronicity, and Epiphany. All three offer value, but when Serendipity shows up in your life, you feel like you’ve caught lightning in a bottle. Over the holi-daze, we had so many friends and family staying at our Baja home. It was lovely. One day, Dad and my sister Cathy were over at MEA with me meeting Allan and Sabryna Njoroge, long-time MEA alums, who were in the area with their kids. We all saw this heavily-laden cyclist ambling slowly toward us. He looked a little like a pilgrim on the road with all of his worldly-possessions attached to his sturdy bike. While I could have ignored him with the intros of friends and family going on, I asked him how long he was biking. Max stopped and exhaustedly said he’s ridden his bike for more than 2,700 miles for more than two months and his final destination was the surf town of Cerritos, just a couple miles south of us.
Whoa! In that moment, I recognized the gravity of the fact we were his celebration team to congratulate him on nearly finishing his journey. He then told us about the meaning of this trip (a ritual to put behind him some sad life circumstances) and a kinship grew in just a couple minutes. Since we were off to dinner with the family, I said goodbye and got in the car with Dad and Cathy saying to them that I feel like I should offer him a couple free nights at MEA, but felt bashful as I wanted to make sure Gail was fine with this and she was gone for the weekend. As we were driving away, Allan presciently flagged us down and said, “Chip, Max could use you as a wisdom teacher.” And, the next thing we knew, Max was spending the weekend for free at MEA getting to know the love-filled bunch of folks who were at the end of their Refresh stay at MEA Baja. Max and I connected before he left a couple days later and he recited this letter to me in person.

Hey Chip,
It’s your pal Max here. I once heard at a young age that “people will not remember what you said, people will not remember what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.”
With this said, thank you for making me feel like a King today. How serendipitous it was to have had the chance encounter with you, Allan, and your family today. You owed me nothing, and yet at the drop of a hat you gave me everything.
I have pedalled roughly 4400 km to be where I am today. Two feet and a heartbeat, and nothing more. Afterall, what more does one need?
What feels like a million minor decisions made since I departed Canada on October 23rd. All these decisions inevitably led me to today. It all culminated in this one moment. At roughly 4:30 – having my wildest dreams and expectations; through and through exceeded.
I woke up this morning with a question mark of where do I camp? What should I eat? Where will be the most romantic spot for me to culminate my trip. I set my sights on San Pedrito, wild camping was acceptable there and it was right off a surf break. This must be the spot. When I arrived at Pedrito, the energy was not right. Deep down in my heart and gut I knew this wasn’t it. “This wasn’t what the trip wanted,” I said to myself. Exhausted, salty, and road-weary I saddled up once again, and rode down the soft, sandy washboard side roads.
Desperate for rest, I set my sights on the nearby Mystic Dreams RV park. Upon arrival, the gate was closed and nobody was around. Another immediate, obvious sign to continue on. I waited for 7 minutes outside that gate without anyone acknowledging me…the universe gently nudging me along. In hindsight, another omen, perhaps. Once again I saddled up…3 wrong turns down soft, sandy, washboard dead-end roads chased by curious dogs. All lead me to the moment I could have never foreseen in all my daydreams of what it would be like to cross my finish line.
I met you. I met your family. I met Allan. What are the chances? Perhaps with wisdom beyond the physical realm, I believe you all saw me. I’m grateful I withdrew my sunglasses to offer you a gaze into the windows of my soul.
I believe in Omens, I want to believe in fate, and destiny is a whole night’s worth of debate. Today perhaps, could give reason for all the above. If not at least for the former two. Time can only tell for the latter.
There are so many things I would like to say to you, alas time is precious and you strike me as a busy man. With this said, I will keep it brief and simply say, thank you. Truly. Thank you for seeing me, thank you for opening your home to me, and thank you for offering this experience to me. From the deepest part of my heart and stomach. I remain indebted to you.
My father always told me that life does not come to you. It comes from you. Today, you embodied this in a way that is rarely experienced.
As this trip unravelled itself, a mantra was born. That I must submit, not control the trip, let go of all expectations, and let it come to me. Whatever came my way, it was not good, it was not bad. It was what the trip, what the universe wanted for me.
A million decisions, a million possibilities, and this is how it ended up. I crossed the finish line in the most unimaginable way possible. What a love I have for this life. And evidently you as well. Thank you for being a conduit to all of this.
Thank you, brother, for this opportunity and experience like no other. I will never forget today.
Indebted always,
Max Bragg.