Like a lot of frequent travelers, I'd been itching to get back on the road after months of lockdown. A couple of months ago, I drove from the east coast to the west coast and ended up in Mexico, where I rented a condo near some close friends to settle in for the expected second wave of Covid-19.

I'm all about new cultures and new experiences when I travel. As I've written before, traveling has made me a far more adaptable person and I believe has greatly enhanced my resilient mindset. Just like the previous article, this isn't a newsy article filled with deep research or a how-to that will teach you ways to deal with specific threats. It's simply a blog post in which I'm sharing a personal story and philosophy that some folks will find thought-provoking and others will find outlandish. But either way, do share your thoughts in the comments.

I learn a lot by observing others when traveling, and there is one theme that has been consistent throughout the current adventure.

It's not so much about what you know, as it is about who you know.

So here's something I've learned living in Mexico – it's not so much about what you know, as it is about who you know. And those who "know" the most people will have a far better handle on survival in difficult situations.

There are certain people I've met here who simply know everyone. They know a guard at my condo complex, they know a mechanic, they know a veterinarian, they know a pharmacist, they know somebody who works at the border, they know someone in the police department.

These are the people you call when something goes wrong. When my Jeep sprung a leak, I contacted a couple of in-the-know people and had someone over to repair it in short order. The work was reasonably priced and when there was a small unforeseeable issue afterward, it was taken care of without further charge after I made a quick phone call.