When two strangers are on different paths, and their eyes are fixed on what is in front of them, their vision of the terrain before them and the aftermath of their small, individual decisions render everything beyond it quite dim. The only hope for each of them is to continue onward, letting the accumulation of their steps and missteps, experiences, observations and decisions lead them somewhere.
And sometimes, that somewhere mysteriously crosses with someone else’s somewhere.
Andrea Gascón Medina’s somewhere and Benjamin Crawford’s somewhere were very unlikely to coincide (a 0.0002% probability by our calculation). Yet, in the winter of 2021, they did.
THE BEGINNING
Two paths. One improbable crossing.
SO, THIS IS HOW WE MET
Guadalajara, Mexico · Winter 2021
01 — BEFORE THEY MET
A few years prior, without knowing how it was going to work, Andrea resigned from her job as a lawyer to work as a full-time volunteer at a non-profit organization. The non-profit’s offices happened to be on the second floor of Metta Coworking in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Ben, working remotely during the pandemic and ever curious about different parts of the world, decided to visit Guadalajara in the fall of 2021. Although his Airbnb was a nice place to sleep, it provided little in terms of a social life, and within a couple of weeks of arriving, he had joined Metta for a “workspace.”
02 — COFFEE REFILLS
Andrea can suffer from what some call “tunnel vision,” and when Ben joined Metta, she was intensely working on a mysterious project, paying little attention to anything else. Ben, still a stranger to Andrea, noticed her working from afar (in a well-fitted black dress), and before he realized it, he was interrupting her work just to say “hello.”
From that day on, Ben happened to be in the Metta kitchen for “coffee refills” whenever Andrea was, and to leave the office around the same time she did.
03 — THE CONCERT
After a few weeks of this, Ben approached Andrea one evening in the office, again interrupting her work and, without invitation, closing her laptop to ask if she would come with him to a concert (an Israeli duo visiting Guadalajara). Too surprised and possibly hypnotized by all of the subliminal “yeses” Ben had placed around the office in the preceding weeks, Andrea agreed.
Since Ben had recently arrived in Mexico and had no transportation, Andrea was kind enough to pick him up for their date. The date went swimmingly, and as they say, the rest is history.
.jpeg)
04 — THE LIFE WE’VE BUILT
But their story did not unfold simply because two people happened to meet. It unfolded because, in their own ways, they were ready. As days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years, they had realizations, found loving compromises, overcame challenges, communicated better and better, laughed, sought adventures, and discovered a mutual respect and deep bond.
Both had spent years exploring the world, discovering different cultures, and finding joy in experiences that went beyond the norm. Neither was chasing adventure for adventure’s sake.
They were drawn to something simpler:
a beautiful afternoon, learning something new, a place worth lingering in, a good cup of coffee, and the feeling of being fully present.
DIFFERENT ROOTS, ONE HOME
Over time, they discovered that their intense similarities and drastic differences were part of what made them work. Ben tends to analyze before reacting; Andrea has a particular intolerance for injustice and rarely hesitates to speak up when something is wrong. He brings patience, perspective, and a steady calm. She brings determination, fire, and the courage to challenge what she believes needs to change.
.jpeg)
They have learned that love does not require two people to become alike.
It asks for room to grow, together, from their own roots.
AND THEN THERE WAS BONGO
And somewhere along the way, we built a home that became a little fuller, a little noisier, and a whole lot more loving, thanks to our favorite furry companion, Bongo. Somehow, he always finds his way right between us, reminding us every day what the purest, most honest kind of love looks like.
