I’m currently on a flight home from the (excellent as always) MEAB meetup. It was great to catch up with old friends and meet a lot of new ones, and thanks so much to everyone that had kind things to say about the blog – it really means a lot. I’ll work on an adapted version of my presentation for a post next week.

Being around a lot of the people that have helped me build to where I am now this weekend got me thinking about the role that serendipity and luck (and making your own luck) can play when it comes to having success in this hobby. 

While most of your churning and MS spoils are a result of consistent effort, sometimes a happy accident or chance encounter helps nudge things along as well. Much like penicillin, Popsicles, and other things invented as a result of serendipity, sometimes an attempt at doing one thing ends up being fruitful for a completely different reason.

I think a lot of us can point to some random event that occurred in their churning journey that ended up being a turning point. For many, it might be getting into the hobby in the first place – a random YouTube thumbnail or podcast episode. 

I was always going to get into the hobby one way or the other, because it was mentioned so often on the /r/travel threads I used to read a decade ago when I first started. But I certainly wouldn’t be where I was today if it wasn’t for some random spaces that I ended up in by a stroke of luck (or being willing to put myself out there and talk to someone I didn’t know).

As you read through the never ending tidal wave of churning chatter out there, don’t be afraid to make a bit of your own luck by reaching out if you see a familiar name talking about something you’re interested in. After all, they probably had that same moment of serendipity as you – just years earlier. 

One thing always emphasized to me at meetups is the variety of ways in which one stumbles into churning and MS, as well as the wide diversity of strengths, specialties and W2 backgrounds we all have. Even someone more experienced than you has blind spots and things they’re not thinking about, and you’d be surprised how open most people are to collaboration.

Anyway, the fun’s over, back to the mines to start working on the new things that we learned this weekend. It’s always good to connect in person, and don’t forget to continue collaborating virtually.

Also, for those who were there – how wild was Shane’s presentation? I’ll have to get him on for a guest post one of these days.

သူၺ်ႉ!

Pictured: the souvenir obtained after one extremely bizarre Mile High evening