Anna and Michi have been traveling the Pan-American Highway since 2023 in their self-converted Mercedes 1017, “Greeny.” What began as a two-year journey through North and South America turned into a new way of life in Mexico: continuing to travel, working on the road, and never returning. In this OLLI interview, the Overland Büffels talk about three years of converting their vehicle, 40 centimeters of snow, a rescue operation on Mount Adams, and the realization that it’s better to make your dreams come true before something gets in the way.
Who are you, how long have you been on the road—and where has the Pan-American Highway taken you so far?
We’re Anna and Michi, and we’ve been traveling along the Pan-American Highway since September 2023. Since then, we’ve crossed Canada from east to west and headed up to Dawson City in the winter. From there, we traveled down the west coast of the U.S., crossed south into Texas, and then basically kept heading south—all the way to Chile, where we are now.
Anna to Michi: “Either we set a date now, or we’ll never do it.”
You made your decision back in 2019. Can you still remember the moment when “someday” suddenly turned into a concrete plan?
Absolutely! It was December 2019, when the world was still “calm,” and we were on the ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki, planning to take a winter road trip up to the North Cape in our Passat. It was in that ferry cabin that we finalized our plan. I said to Michi back then: “Either we set a date now, or we’ll never do it.” And so it was written in a Word document: Trip starts in 2023 with an expedition van. That was always clear, because it was Michi’s big dream.
Almost four years passed between that sentence and our departure—and the entire process of building Greeny from scratch. What was that time like for you?
Yeah, and then everything happened in quick succession. We bought our chassis in the summer of 2020 and spent the next three years building it out in every spare minute. It was an incredibly exhausting and intense time, since we built our Greeny from the ground up—including the exterior—and did it all ourselves, just the two of us, without any outside help, which was often a massive feat of strength. That makes us all the more proud that Greeny is still in such good shape.
And when did you tell your family and friends that you were actually going to be gone for an extended period of time?
We didn’t tell our family anything for a long time. It wasn’t until two years before that we slowly started dropping hints that we’d be gone for “a year” to help them get used to the idea. Many friends also found out at the last minute. But we threw a wedding, invited everyone to Italy, and had our “farewell party” there.
“It’s about constantly asking yourself: What are my dreams? What’s really important to me? What would I eventually regret if I hadn’t done it?”
Greeny is an old Mercedes 1017 that used to be a fire truck. Why did we choose a truck like this of all things?
We decided on an old fire truck because we can fix a lot of things ourselves, the upfront costs are reasonable, it’s super comfortable to live in, and Michi has always wanted to drive a big, loud truck.
And how does a mint-green Mercedes 1017 go over with people on the road?
Thanks to its color, Greeny’s actually well-received just about everywhere. In Canada, we got so much attention that we had to work our way through a line of people before we could even go shopping—so many people wanted to talk to us. The whole thing often took hours.
After all these kilometers, what do you love most about Greeny?
What we love most about him is that he often fixes himself, we’ve been able to get replacement parts super fast everywhere so far, and he’s the most perfect 12-square-meter studio apartment we’ve ever had. And we’ve moved around a lot so far.
“We’ve been gradually hinting to our family that we’ll be ‘gone for a year’ to help them get used to the idea.”
After several years on the road, you’re no longer just in “travel mode.” How do you manage to balance work, continuing your journey, and everyday life?
These days, we’re trying to bring some structure to our daily lives, since a) we’ve been on the road for a very long time and b) we’re now working online as well. We try to stay in one place from Monday through Wednesday. Thursday through Sunday is usually spent driving. We also always work in the mornings from Monday through Friday. We try to keep the weekend free. But since we’re very flexible, this schedule changes quite often. Driving days usually vary quite a bit anyway, depending on what happens.
It seems like your travel days can end quite differently than planned. Which story has stuck with you the most?
I think one of the craziest stories is this one:
We wanted to take a small road toward Mt. Adams, but a sign warned us: “Mt. Adams blocked by snow.” Shortly after that, the police even drove by. We asked the officer about the road, and he said that if we could drive in the snow, it shouldn’t be a problem. We wouldn’t be able to turn around there, though.
Long story short, we decided to go for it, of course.
The road quickly got narrower, and soon the snow was there, too. Greeny plowed through about 40 cm of snow at a snail’s pace. A cliff on the right, a mountain on the left. Looking back, we’re absolutely convinced that the police officer had no idea what was waiting for us up there.
Our ray of hope: a track in the snow that wasn’t too old. So we had to take that road!
Halfway down the route, we see a pickup truck ahead of us. A young woman gets out, waving her arms frantically. As if we could possibly miss her here…
It quickly becomes clear: She was the one we’d been following! The one whose tracks we’d been following for the last few kilometers. And she’s been stuck on this mountain pass for two days. While turning around, she got stuck in a ditch.
Wearing a T-shirt and ballet flats, she stands before us and talks a mile a minute, explaining that her birthday is in two days and that she’d already thought of this pass as the day she’d die. She’d tried to walk the remaining 60 km but turned back after just three meters. I don’t think she had the slightest idea how long it really takes to cover 60 kilometers—let alone under the conditions up here.
So Greeny gets to carry out his first rescue mission, one that even requires us to put on our snow chains.
We offer her a few more minutes of emotional support, exchange phone numbers in case one of us doesn’t make it back down, and then set off again—in opposite directions.
“Michael cooked for us, introduced us to his friends, and gave us a key to his front door—so we could feel at home.”
You've met a lot of people along the way. Is there anyone who has particularly stuck in your minds to this day?
Oh, that’s a tough one—there are actually quite a few. But above all, our Canadian friend “Michael Knopf” and his friend Bernhard Bernstein.
We got stranded in Prince Rupert, really fed up with Knopf, after our starter motor completely gave out. We couldn’t have driven another meter. So we went to the nearest repair shop and met Michael Knopf, who immediately took us aside and said we’d be better off sorting this out among ourselves rather than going through the shop.
He let us park in front of his house, and we stayed with him for two weeks until our starter motor was flown in. By the second day, we were already like his “kids.” He made plans with us for how we could spend our weekend and told us lots of stories about his life. He cooked an amazing meal for us, introduced us to friends, showed us a shrimp farm, and gave us a key to his front door—so we could do laundry, take a shower, and “feel at home.”
What a guy.
Were you able to repay him in any way for all that?
As soon as we asked if there was any way we could help him, he said, “If you ever meet someone who needs help, help them and think of me while you’re doing it.”
But we’ve met so many amazing people, including many wonderful travelers!
“The best part is that you can share everything: worries, fears, joy, and special moments.”
Originally, you planned to travel the Pan-American Highway for two years and then return home. When did you realize, “We don’t want to go back yet”—and how have you been financing your life on the road ever since?
We started out with our savings and the plan to drive the Pan-American Highway for two years and then return. Once we got to Mexico, we realized we were enjoying it all so much that we didn’t want to go back just yet.
So we started out as freelance virtual assistants. Over time, we founded our own company that helps manufacturing startups get to the point of mass production. Basically, it’s in the engineering field we come from.
And after being on the road for so long, what suddenly feels like true luxury?
Fun fact, by the way: The biggest luxury we treat ourselves to while traveling is finding European products that are ridiculously expensive 😄. Chile is a paradise for this, but nothing beats the joy of seeing, finding, or being able to eat familiar things after a long period of deprivation. The same goes, by the way, for an endlessly warm shower 😄
He said, “If you ever meet someone who needs help, help them—and think of me while you do.”
What’s the best part about sharing this life as a couple—especially when things get tough along the way?
The best part about traveling together is having a companion with whom you can share everything: worries, fears, joys, and moments.
We’re currently in northern Chile, and because of Super El Niño, travel in almost every direction is extremely difficult. We can’t go to Bolivia because the borders are closed (due to extreme snowfall). In the north and south, there’s such severe flooding that we can’t be there—nor do we want to go there. It’s already a challenge for the two of us, but it would be even harder on our own.
And what can you still argue about, even after years of living together in twelve square meters? 😄
We regularly argue about the perfect temperature in Greeny :D. Michi likes it cooler than Anna does… it’s a never-ending debate.
“Whether your dream is to have your own garden or to travel the world doesn’t really matter at all.”
Be honest: What's the most dangerous thing you've ever experienced?
NOTHING 😄
From the outside, life on the Pan-American Highway quickly looks like total freedom and a never-ending vacation. What’s completely off about that image?
A lot of people think we lead a laid-back life. I think being at home and working a 9-to-5 job is way more relaxed. Our life is incredibly demanding and always different. Even establishing small routines is extremely difficult.
You’ve been on the road for years now. Are there still moments when you think, “Wow… how lucky we are to be able to live this life”?
Almost every day. It’s something so special and a huge privilege to get to know this world, its people, and nature, and to learn to appreciate them. South America, in particular, holds a special place in our hearts.
Seeing what’s happening to our natural world and how people are forced to live is, at times, very painful.
“It’s sometimes a challenge with just the two of us, but it would be even harder on my own.”
You’ve experienced firsthand how quickly “someday” can turn into “maybe never.” So what does “One Life. Live It.” mean to you today?
When we first started out, I couldn’t understand how people could keep putting off their dreams indefinitely. While we were converting our vehicle, we met Peter. Ever since his wife passed away, he’s been converting an ExMo as well. We talked a lot. Shortly before we were set to begin our trip, he fell ill and had to put both his truck and his journey on hold.
For us, that was definitely further confirmation that you can travel even at a young age—and that you should seize that opportunity.
But even when you’re young, some things fall by the wayside when you’re on the road. There are pros and cons. Ultimately, everyone has to decide for themselves which desires are so strong that they really want to go after them.
So what advice would you give to someone who’s been carrying a dream around for years but keeps finding a reason to put it off?
In the end, it’s not at all about having to go out into the world or experience something particularly extraordinary. It’s much more about not simply falling into the rut of everyday life and constantly asking yourself: What dreams do I have? What’s really important to me? What would I eventually regret if I hadn’t done it?
And then: DO IT! Get up and don’t look for excuses.
Whether the dream turns out to be your own garden or a trip around the world doesn’t really matter at all.
