You Won't Believe What I lost on an AeroMexico Flight

[@CassieDavis613]

God bless the people in Mexico who helped you and your friend retrieve your devices. Amazing.

[@kellyname5733]

Super good on you for arriving to pick up your hard drive with gifts. Everybody loves gifts. And..it solidifies you're thankfulness.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Yes - thank you gifts are a pretty easy gesture and it reinforces good behavior. I’ll never know what effort went into getting that thing back - but even if it was just 1 phone call, he deserved recognition. I hope he watches the video!

[@BlueSkySanctuaryBaja]

Incredible! So grateful for Mexico & the wonderful caring people here, what a happy ending to what could've been a real bummer of a story lol. And I imagine this means I'll still see you this week, so yay for that too!

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Yup - I wasn't gonna leave town til I got to Todos Santos. I'll send you an email about times.

[@lindylee1139]

Kind of a miracle you got your hard drive back. Also, can’t be too terrible of a mistake when worse case scenario you take another trip to Oaxaca! PS I left my phone in an Uber in La Paz and got it back. Looking forward to your Oaxaca content.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Wow - so many stories of lost things found in Mexico. I admit I was looking forward to a return to Oaxaca, but I’m also happy to save all that time and money!

[@janetprincehair4356]

Because the hard working people of Mexico are just fantastic. How nice Brighton! Happy for you!!

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

I totally agree! Thanks

[@travelingexpats]

That's a great story of kindness of strangers. There are some really awesome people but we generally only hear about terrible ones. Hope you get lots of "margaritas!"

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Absolutely! Thanks!

[@SuzyRed6]

You got very lucky, my dear 🙏🍀 What a hassle, but you were pretty much saved! Terry, too! Safe travels!

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Yes -super lucky! I’m putting my name on that thing and never letting it out of my sight again!

[@BradFogg]

A good story demonstrating how things always work out, one way or another. A good lesson for life in general.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Agreed - I hope to see you Wednesday at Baja Buddies.

[@nancytrekker]

Sorry about your external drive and all the Oaxaca content. What an emotional roller coaster. You must have been crushed, but ecstatic when you got it back! I only use an external drive to store my files; I'll rethink this after your experience. Happy belated Mexican Independence Day! That Alexa woman lol. Beautiful home! Good idea to make the house lived in while you're away and not put sheets over the furniture. Hope Kat likes the chairs you had redone! The tiled showers are going to be awesome; though I'm not sure about your green tiles with the blue accents. I'd worry about it being too dark. I can't wait to see the finished product!

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

I hope the tiles aren't too dark. I didn't consider water spots! Eak - we have really hard water. And the green is darker than expected. They were hand painted so each batch is slightly different. Definitely get a backup system in place for your external hard drive. You never know when you'll need it. Thanks much!

[@yvetteroiz2625]

Yay you got it back! In the beginning of the video when you said chances were slim ; I knew you were wrong! Good people and Good vibes ☺️

[@softblackkitten]

Your job is depends on electronics and so many things that you have no control over. I'm feeling for you. You do good work.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Thank you! Back at my home I have a redundant hard drive so that I cannot lose files. But in the road I’m more vulnerable.

[@softblackkitten]

@@AlmostRetiredinMexico good

[@dianaj3139]

Hi Brighton! I had company over to my house today and after lunch someone put KZbin on the Family room TV and there you were! So not only did I get to see this video, but a bunch of family and friends also watched... They were asking me questions about KZbin and Mexico... Hopefully they will subscribe to your channel after today!... That said, GREAT VIDEO!! we all could feel the pain of your lost drive! I was thinking as you told the story it could still be between the seats of the AEROMEXICO plane... and also how AeroMexico is one of my favorite airlines for Mexico trips... and I still hold that view after hearing your whole story! Also Love the changes to your home in La Paz! Beautiful!!! Muchas Gracias for your story and believe me I cannot wait for the interviews and footage that you are preparing for all of us!!

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Thanks Diana. One of my friends from La Paz, who I met up with in Oaxaca, also had a great AeroMexico experience. He dropped his residency card and someone from AeroMexico called him (he must have given his cell number when he bought his plane tix.) He got it back before he even knew that he'd lost it. This kinda makes me think I'm of the age now where me and all my friends are really good at losing stuff! Mexico is the place to be for us! Thanks for sharing about the family viewing party! I hope they do subscribe - and eventually move to Mexico with you!

[@dianaj3139]

@@AlmostRetiredinMexico THANK YOU! Yes, perhaps that might happen. Again I loved your stories!

[@elvaplascencia6810]

Ay mijo thank the universe for my Mexican ppl im happy for you and us that will be enjoying those Oaxaca videos 😂😂 . Thank you for your hard work 😓 very much appreciated. Aeromexico n Mauricio grate job . 👋🇲🇽

[@enriquegutierrez1902]

Cinco Margaritas for mis Amigos Brighton & Kat!!🎉 So glad you recovered your Property be Safe Salud & Saludos!! Enrique Traveling Veteran

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Thanks for the 5 margaritas Enrique! I will consume them responsibly:-)

[@GringosRUs]

Dude! We are here in Oaxaca until the week after Dia de los Muertos. We've been here for about 3 weeks. Sorry we missed you! Glad you got your drive back.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Dammit! It would have been great to see y’all. I met up with a few Paceños who were there too. Small world!

[@MadeNCda]

Yay!!! Muchos gracias to Aeromexico and Mauricio and counter agents for helping you get your external hard drive back! I was really bummed as I listened and thought, "what comment can I write to make Brighton feel better?" So I'm uber happy for you 😂 I need to learn these systems myself and get an external hard drive. And learn to make and edit videos too. I'll take notes on what you share and now I'll continue watching the video. 😊

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Thanks for your comment - and best of luck with sharing your journey on KZbin! When you get that external hard drive, be sure to back it up!

[@triciafrederick1105]

Yay! So happy for you. Glad to hear luck was on your side!

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Thank you!

[@AdelleRamcharan]

It's okay to make mistakes. Even if you feel really foolish, don't be hard on yourself. You deserve grace. Glad it worked out!

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Thank you Adelle!

[@Mphscat]

I am so sorry Brighton!!! I want to turn you onto a product you will LOVE LOVE LOVE... It's a Suddora Zipper Wrist Wallet and I could not live without it. I've given one to all my friends and took some for our family in Mexico in July for their safety. Kat needs one too (or one in each color to match her outfits). They are like under 10 bucks too! I no longer carry a purse because of this thing. My husband wears one too instead of carrying a wallet for safety while traveling. Check it out. Happy your story had a happy ending.

[@pedrozatravel]

That is awesome you got your hard drive back

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Yes - I'm still amazed!

[@cindyk3076]

I can imagine how panicked I would be if I had done that. So glad that you got your hard drive back! What a mess for your friend too, and he got his phone back, what a blessing for both of you. I'm surprised that Oaxaca didn't have a good internet speed, with all of the digital nomads staying there.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

I was pretty panicked. By the time I recorded this video, I was more calm because I had planned my recovery from this mistake. But the night before I was a mess. Oaxaca must have good internet because that one cafe was good. But most coffee shops and the two places I stayed must have cheap Internet!

[@Shirley-n-Maryland]

@AlmostRetiredinMexico, SO HAPPY the staff found your drive. Can you share the name of the hard drive that's the size of a credit card, PLEASE? I'M looking for something other than the USB-sized backup drive. Thank you❤❤❤

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

It's the Samsung T5 hard drive. But today I'd buy the T7 or T9: amzn.to/3XJXdPB

[@CassieDavis613]

Bruh, give that employee some pesos.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

I had no idea that money would be appropriate. I had a Mexican suggest a Walmart gift card. I'm learning!

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

so happy you got your back up back...People can be amazing.

[@RioBahiaWilliams]

Years ago before we bought our house in Puebla, 1 of our luggage was mistakenly taken by a Mexican family returning home from vacation. The luggage contained all of my wife's clothing. 2 days later we received a call from Aero Mexico regarding our luggage which had been located, they then brought us our luggage to where we were staying some 45 minutes away, it was an awesome ending, and ee showed our appreciation with the driver, and also made sure to provide positive feedback online.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Thanks for sharing this story. AeroMexico seems to go above and beyond!

[@RedSpiralHandTV]

Holy crap, you were SO lucky to get that back! BTW, we've been in Oaxaca almost a year now...really love it except for the mosquitos and high dengue rates (I'm still recovering my strength after losing over 20lbs when I got dengue in August...you totally lose your appetite when you have it).

[@carolb1792]

Newbie here and enjoy watching your renovation progress. Out with the old and in with the new! I couldn't help but notice, what looks like a mirror, hanging on the wall (time stamp 26:40). What is that and where did you get it? It's sooooo beautiful!!!

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

I love that style. It's very common in Mexico. It came with everything else inside our house, so I'm not sure where they got it. But you'll see them in artisan markets. I really want a bigger rectangular one - not that I have a spot for it, but I think they are so cool. I saw them in Oaxaca, but bringing them back on the plane didn't seem worth the effort.

[@carolb1792]

@@AlmostRetiredinMexico I see, you bought the mirror, and the house came with it, right? Just kidding. 😁 Thank you! You gave me enough info to start my search. It's absolutely gorgeous! Thanks again.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

@@carolb1792 Exactly! The mirror was a bit expensive, but we get to live in the extras that came with it!

[@enriquegutierrez1902]

Lo siento mucho Brighton. I found zip locks to be a great tool for Small Items. Great recovery 😅😅😅🎉

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Thanks for the tip! I think I need one of those keychains with a leash to hold onto this thing.

[@XMaryGardner]

So glad it worked out for you 😊

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Me too!!

[@chillnophone2024]

Awesome stories! That's great! Viva Mexico!🎉

[@swallacegray2013]

Sooo happy your hard drive was found, I was on pins & needles as you told the story!🎉🎉😊

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Thank you! I was struggling to tell that story - most was recorded before I got the call from AeroMexico so I had to piece it together a bit. Glad it worked out! Thanks for sharing.

[@olayinkaoyo]

I’m so sorry.😢

[@GypsyJenJen]

If anyone deserves a little help it is you. So sorry this happened to you.

[@leemartinez2975]

My wife and I make margaritas almost exclusively with mezcal. We are starting to use sotol as well.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Yum on the Mezcalitas. What is Sotol?

[@leemartinez2975]

@@AlmostRetiredinMexico Sotol is a spirit from the desert spoon. The Sorianas here sell it and I have seen it sold in larger liquor stores in McAllen. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sotol

[@leemartinez2975]

@@AlmostRetiredinMexico My wife and I have started to drink/ use mezcal more than tequila. Tequila in my opinion is for rookies. LOL

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

@@leemartinez2975 Thanks for sharing. I'll have to try this when I come across it (now that I know what it is, I'm guessing I'll be seeing it around town.)

[@miab3266]

That’s how Mexican people are, so kind! But giving him a bag with a pastry was not a good choice! Since you would have had to pay another plane ticket, hotel, etc to recover, the “gift” was almost like an insult. It would have been appropriate to give him an envelope with at least $500 pesos …

[@celestetibbs3100]

You must be living right Brighton because the odds of you recovering that drive were slim to none. I’m very happy for you!

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Kat gave me 100:1 odds. I thought 10:1 max. Slim to none would have been another way to phrase it. So I beat the odds!

[@davebaker489]

@@AlmostRetiredinMexico Or could it be the people from Mexico are just normally kind naturally . They know how hard it is to make a buck and just want to help.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

@@davebaker489 I think you're right. Helping is in their nature here. But the odds of someone even seeing it on the plane were small to start with!

[@GaagiiLammers]

Oh, Brighton! No! I am so sorry.

[@GaagiiLammers]

WOW! You gotta talk to mi esposo about his return trip from Oaxaca!

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

What happened on the trip - hopefully a similar happy ending! Let’s have dinner - my schedule just opened up a lot!

[@GaagiiLammers]

@@AlmostRetiredinMexicosuper similar, happy ending!

[@julietillinghast6971]

Oh, I am sooo sorry Brighton 😢

[@georgeallen7667]

Wish you would have given a heads up when you were gonna be in LA Paz. Left there yesterday fir Guadalajara. Would have been great to have had a sesh with you. Oh well

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Sorry - I’ve been super busy with the house construction. I didn’t host any happy hours. My only social event was Baja Buddies. Next time?

[@denverin2009]

Ouch what a scary experience 😮

[@johncochran5371]

¡Viva Mexíco! Mezcal con tamarindo es mi favorito.

[@katwest6505]

Aero Mexico yay!! 🎉❤

[@TimesandGens]

So lucky!

[@reinascuderi8530]

You have been living in Mexico long enough to know the the salary of workers there; you know what it would cost you to go back to Oaxaca to re do your trip, and all you gave him as a reward for something important to you was a pastry?

[@CassieDavis613]

Origin of the dust inside your house? Blown in from the beach?

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

I think the dust is just from the soil / dirt roads. Probably the beach too. And the palapa roof. El Centenario is a dusty town!

[@LaurieSequana]

You took us into your drama😂

[@Mphscat]

Whoa... had to hop back into the comments... Terry won the lottery with his phone being returned. I sure hope he gave the Taxi driver a good tip! Miracles come to those to believe and live right and try to help others.

[@terrylarsen7711]

+ I most certainly did! I won't disclose the amount, but I hope it showed Hugo the driver how appreciative I was of his help and honesty. I truly thought it was gone.

[@mwiebe2663]

Several years ago my husband had to fly into Mexico City urgently following a death in the family (his family is in a small town about 1 1/2 hours south of CDMX, Tepoztlan). The car rental agency had messed up the reservation, so he ended up taking a taxi all the way to Tepoztlan. It was a very stressful trip, and he accidentally left his wallet in the taxi. After being dropped off, he went straight to the funeral then back to his relative’s home. He hadn’t even realized his wallet was missing until a few hours later when the taxi driver showed up at the door with the wallet in hand. He had driven all the way back from Mexico City to return the wallet to my husband. And he wouldn’t accept any money except for the cost of gas and tolls. I think my husband finally managed to give him a couple hundred extra pesos, but the driver really did this because he was a good man who believed in doing the right thing. And so, on Mexican Independence Day, all I can say is ¡Viva México! ❤🇲🇽❤

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Viva Mexico!! Thanks for sharing this story. That's amazing.

[@leemartinez2975]

Are there a lot of mosquitos in La Paz?

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Not very many. But I grew up in Wisconsin, so I may be biased. Kat gets bit by mosquitos here, but they like her more than me.

[@davebaker489]

@@AlmostRetiredinMexico Well she's obviously sweeter than you.

[@ft9712763]

I like your videos

[@jude999]

Light pollution. Ugh. I will never understand why people blow everything up with light. Dark and quiet are becoming so rare; I need it for my sanity. Looking good, the patio is great.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Thanks! Mexicans like their bright lights. I'm more of a strategic lighting kinda guy. To be fair, my neighbor's house is currently vacant, but those lights look pretty permanent. Mexicans also don't like plants - at least in this part of Mexico. He has 1/2 acre and only one palm tree. No other plant material at all!

[@sherrysimpson4167]

Lucky guy!

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

I agree! Now if my tile just comes through faster than expected…

[@maryjoan4128]

I am sorry for this...may I ask were u at Spanish and me people

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

I’m not sure of your question, but the Spanish school was at 502 Matamoros in Oaxaca spanishschoolinmexico.com/index.html#

[@Inisglas]

Well those are seven minutes I'll never get back.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

I'm working on a 9 minute video that shares how to recover 7 minutes of your life. I'll message you when it's ready.

[@terrylarsen7711]

@@AlmostRetiredinMexico Good response, Brighton! Gotta be one in every crowd, no?

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

@@terrylarsen7711 Yep. BTW - thanks for sharing your story - and for the margarita!

[@terrylarsen7711]

@@AlmostRetiredinMexico De nada, amigo! Thanks to you for helping me show my appreciation to all my Mexican amigos for always being ready to help.

[@godfish67]

You don't have to have your plumbing changed at all for that shower the valve on the internal part that you were showing right there can be taken out rotated 180° and boom your problem is solved, read the instructions, or check KZbin University and it'll show you how to do it.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Thanks - that's great to know! I had no clue it would be that simple.

[@mikeswanson2405]

We had a mezcal tasting in La Paz last year. Turns out, my mother in law loves mezcal. Who would have thought.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

That’s cool - was it at Mucho Gusto? I’ve never done their tasting. I did one with the Mexican Spirits Club and they were great.

[@mikeswanson2405]

@@AlmostRetiredinMexico yes, it was mucho gusto. Wasn’t busy at all when we were there, so one tasting satisfied 5 of us. They were very generous. They also gave us a few snacks to go with the tasting.

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

@@mikeswanson2405 That's wonderful! Thanks for sharing.

[@Resmith18SR]

Better clickbait title would be: I lost my hard drive in Cabo. 😂😂😂

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

What happens on AeroMexico stays on AeroMexico

[@bernardpaulsen825]

I chalk this video up under keeping it real. Why don’t you make a video telling your viewers about you, your home in Oregon, how you make money, when you really want to retire?

[@DestinationRetirement]

Mescal sour all the way

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Hmmm… sounds good. What’s your recipe?

[@davebaker489]

@@AlmostRetiredinMexico Yes Ditto

[@davebaker489]

Mr B I've never heard such a downer. Even after you announced All was Not Lost you still sounded down. I feel for you. Maybe you should stay the extra week and over see the work. I think you need an assistant. I work cheap. Margarita's and Tacos. My Spanish is poor, My computer skills are questionable But I pride myself in being honest and nice (Canadian it's in the DNA) Lighten up. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. It's up to you to decide whether you are the Coyote or the Road Runner. PS just read your terms and conditions, 1 hell of a read. Were you a Lawyer in another life ...or did Kat write it for you ? WOW. Honestly and Sincerely I must say lighten up. In my world there has always been a silver lining. For me her name is Pam. 🙃 P n D

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

Thanks Dave. All is well that ends well. At least the hard drive showed up. I may be better off hiring Pam to oversee my project! I paid some guy on the Internet to write those terms. I think it was mostly a form that he fills out. Google supposedly ranks sites higher if they have terms and conditions…

[@davebaker489]

@@AlmostRetiredinMexico Just a bunch of words that say a few words then repeat. I do however understand the need to C.Y.A . Chin up my friend. PS Pam works for wine lol.

[@davebaker489]

Honestly did you ever screw up... OR was the gravity ... the mean ol gravity working against you ? I'll blame it on gravity. We are working on a trip there in November (we may have a house - dog sitter lined up). Then you can show us the house tour, I hope. Oh how about Kat on a ladder with a hose for that shower ? 😂

[@AlmostRetiredinMexico]

@@davebaker489 My screw up was putting a very important hard drive in my pocket on a plane - you know how small those seats are - I clearly didn't put it far enough in. So gravity took advantage of my screw up. Awesome that you may come to La Paz. We'll be here in November and look forward to meeting you and Pam in person!

[@davebaker489]

@@AlmostRetiredinMexico Bad Brighton BAaaaad ! The nerve of you. Being human and admitting you are. Tisk.😇

[@MarthaMoore-i5v]

Lopez Sarah Thomas Sharon Harris Shirley

[@timebanditrvtravels3449]

Dude call it a loss learn your lesson

[@ddolde]

You’re out of your mind if you think I’d give you a nickel