Hey guys, thanks for coming back and reading. Today, I want to share a story about how my husband and I took a leap of faith and embarked on a cross-country journey with almost no preparations. We put this plan together just one week before we left, chasing what many call the “American Dream.”
My husband is amazing. He has autism, or ASD, and is considered high-functioning. He dropped out of high school at 16 due to bullying and a difficult home life. He wasn’t diagnosed with autism until he was 35, so he missed out on the help he needed when he was younger. Despite these challenges, he’s incredibly smart and has a natural talent for engineering. It’s fascinating to watch his brain work as he visualizes things in his head, puts them on paper, and brings them to life.
We were going through a rough patch financially. My husband was working at a factory but was laid off due to the microchip shortage. Meanwhile, I was a restaurant manager trying to quit smoking with the help of Chantix. Around this time, a dear friend took his own life, and I was struggling immensely. The Chantix had a severe adverse reaction with my brain, leading to a nervous breakdown. Overwhelmed, I walked out of my job and ultimately lost it.
I was in a dark place, dealing with the side effects of the medication, experiencing frequent panic attacks, and becoming increasingly isolated. My husband took another job with a significant pay cut, but he was let go soon after due to workplace bullying related to his autism. This was a huge blow to his self-esteem. He found another job at a different factory, but after two months, the company relocated to Mexico, leaving him jobless once again.
During all this turmoil, I kept praying. With help, I started to recover, but my husband couldn’t see his therapist due to losing our health insurance. He took a fast-food job because it was the only option available. We hit rock bottom, with two car repossessions adding to our shame and stress.
In January 2022, I found a decent job that was a lifeline for us. My husband continued to apply for jobs without much success. Then, one day, while on Indeed, he took a mechanical aptitude test and scored extremely high. He posted his results, and out of the blue, a recruiter contacted him. The company specialized in repairing and servicing luxury watches and offered him a full ride to a specialized school for WOH step certifications. This certification is incredibly prestigious, with only eight schools worldwide offering it, and the only one in the USA accepts just eight students per year.
It sounded too good to be true. My husband had no experience or training in watch repair, but he began the interview process in June, and by the end of September, he signed a contract. It all happened so fast. We were still engaged at the time, and I told him if we were going to make this sacrifice together, I wanted us to get married first. He enthusiastically agreed, saying, “Hell yeah, baby, it’s been long enough.”
His stipend from the program was just enough to cover one month’s rent and some food. We applied for apartments but struggled due to our damaged credit and the fact that we have an American Bully, a breed many places wouldn’t accept. A week before we were set to leave for Texas, we got his first stipend payment and were approved for an apartment. We used the money to cover the security deposit and first month’s rent, sold a bunch of our belongings, and put the rest in storage.
On Halloween day, we went to the courthouse and got married. My best friend, who got ordained online, married us in the hallway with just her, my husband, my brother, and myself present. That night, we left for Texas, and so began our new chapter.
This journey has been a testament to our resilience, faith, and love for each other. It hasn’t been easy, but taking this leap has brought us closer and opened doors we never imagined possible. Thank you for reading our story, and I hope it inspires you to chase your dreams, no matter how daunting they may seem.