Happiness Matters Foundation - Notes from the Wild - Blog #mobility van conversion issues

Persephone Mission Log — Entry #6

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:45:23 -0700

Upgrades complete.
Perspective… still loading.

Mission Status:Operational — smoother, stronger, and slightly more time-travel-ready.

Log Entry:

It’s been a little while since the last official transmission. Nothing wildly dramatic has happened — no rogue windshield wipers staging a rebellion or unexpected plot twists. Just progress. Quiet, powerful, deeply satisfying progress.

Persephone recently enjoyed a couple of well-deserved “spa days,” getting her wiring situation fully sorted out. Everything is now working exactly as it should, which, given her earlier personality quirks, feels like a small miracle in itself.

Because she’s not just a vehicle — she’s Persephone — I decided to give her a little extra love. She got her windows tinted, a clear bra to protect that beautiful paint, and my personal favorite addition: a new back window sticker that reads, “Time Travel Fades the Paint.” Because, obviously, she’s a TARDIS.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that, something shifted.

Driving became fun again.

Not just functional. Not just a way to get from point A to point B. But genuinely enjoyable in that quiet, unexpected way that sneaks up on you when something you once lost starts to return. The kind of freedom you don’t think about until it’s gone — and then suddenly, being able to just hop in your car and go feels like winning a very personal, very meaningful lottery.

At the same time, perspective has been doing what perspective does best — expanding whether you ask it to or not.

Being in the physical situation I’m in right now doesn’t just change how I move through the world; it changes how I see it. And one thing has become very clear: “ADA compliant” and “actually accessible” are not the same thing. Not even close.

Earlier this week, I had a dentist appointment and used the ramp to get my wheelchair in and out of Persephone. Technically, everything was set up correctly. In reality, if there had been a car parked next to me, that ramp would have been about as useful as a chocolate teapot. The striped space between parking spots simply wasn’t wide enough to fully extend the ramp and maneuver safely.

I got lucky. No car next to me when I arrived, and no car next to me when I left. Something so small, something most people would never think twice about, suddenly became something I felt genuinely grateful for.

Later, I stopped at the DMV to get Persephone’s plates, and the experience couldn’t have been more different. There was space — real, usable space. No awkward calculations, no careful maneuvering, no wondering if I’d be able to get back into my vehicle without a logistical puzzle. Just ease.

And wow… what a difference that makes.

It’s interesting how quickly gratitude shifts when your perspective changes. The things you never noticed before become the things you notice most.

Meanwhile, my brain seems to be going through its own rewiring process right alongside Persephone. Driving with hand controls is becoming more natural — not effortless yet, but familiar. I can actually feel those moments where my brain pauses, as if to say, “Wait… this isn’t how we used to do this,” and then adjusts.

Old patterns are being untangled. New ones are being built.

Different doesn’t mean broken.

It simply means learning a new way forward.

Mission Outcome:

Not everything that works… works for everyone.
Not everything labeled “accessible”… actually is.
And not everything lost… stays lost.

Next Mission:

Keep driving. Keep adapting. Keep noticing what most people never have to think about — and maybe, gently, help them see it too.

Funny how quickly “this works” turns into “oh… wait… does it though?”

What’s something you thought was “fine”… until life showed you otherwise?

I’d love to hear — share it with me.

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Persephone Mission Log — Entry #5

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:58:29 -0700

The Rogue Wipers: Investigation Day
Well… that escalated.

Status: Systems… mostly cooperative
Objective: Investigate rogue windshield wipers and ongoing parking sensor rebellion
Mission Outcome:Quick fix, smooth ride home, nothing dramatic

After the now well-documented incident of spontaneous windshield wiper enthusiasm , Persephone already had a spa day scheduled. The original reason? The ongoing mystery of the parking sensors — because apparently, we don’t do single-issue storylines around here. No, no. We go full series.

So off we went to the Honda dealer, both of us optimistic. And by optimistic, I mean cautiously hopeful that — just this once — something might be simple. A quick fix. A clean resolution. A “here you go, ma’am, all set” kind of moment.

That was adorable.

Instead, Persephone was taken in like a full investigative project. Two to two-and-a-half hours of poking, prodding, and exploring what I can only assume were every nook, cranny, wire, and possibly alternate dimension inside her. I imagine at some point someone said, “Huh… that’s interesting,” which is never the sentence you want to hear when it comes to your vehicle.

And then came the verdict.

Not a faulty switch.
Not a confused sensor.
Not even a moody system having a moment.

Nope.

Wiring.

Specifically, wiring that decided to go a little rogue during the mobility conversion. Which, honestly, feels very on brand at this point. Because why would anything in my world be straightforward when it can come with personality?

So instead of heading home, we pivoted — because of course we did — and made our way straight to United Access. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that when life opens a loop, we might as well close it while we’re already in the adventure.

Now, let me just say… these were wonderful humans. Patient, kind, and clearly used to situations that make other people question their life choices.

We spent about four hours there.

Four.

Hours.

At some point, time stopped being linear and became more of a suggestion.

One of the key discoveries? Persephone is a 2026 model, which means her wiring plans haven’t quite made their grand debut into the systems yet. And just to keep things interesting, they are slightly different from the 2025 models. Not wildly different — just enough to ensure that nothing is plug-and-play, nothing is obvious, and everything requires a bit of detective work.

Because again… why would we choose easy?

And yet — this is where it gets good — progress was made.

The parking sensors are now working. Technically. They’ve simply adopted a more… intimate communication style. Instead of giving me a comfortable heads-up from a distance, they now prefer to alert me when I am approximately inches away from becoming one with whatever is behind me.

Helpful? Yes.
Relaxing? Not even a little.

And the windshield wipers?

Behaving.

For now.

(We’re all just going to pause here and appreciate the phrase “for now,” because we’ve earned that level of cautious trust.)

And Then… The Wind

As if the day hadn’t offered enough growth opportunities, I discovered something new while driving home.

Colorado winds.

Now, I was aware of wind as a concept. I’ve experienced wind before. We’ve all had wind in our lives.

But driving a van — especially with hand controls and one hand steadying the wheel—is a completely different relationship with wind.

This is no longer a gentle “oh, it’s breezy” situation.

This is a full-body, arm-engaged, “we are actively negotiating with the elements” experience.

There’s a strength required that you don’t think about… until suddenly, you’re in it.

Adjusting. Holding steady. Learning in real time.

And somewhere in the middle of that, I had to laugh.

Because of course.

Of course this would be part of the journey too.

Perspective Shift (because we don’t waste a good lesson)

Here’s what this whole beautifully chaotic day reminded me of:

Not everything that feels like a setback is actually a problem.
Sometimes it’s just a system… learning how to work together.

Wires get crossed.
Signals get misread.
Timing gets a little off.

And instead of everything breaking…

It adjusts.
It recalibrates.
It finds a new way.

Not instantly.
Not neatly.
But eventually.

Final Notes from the Driver’s Seat

Persephone is teaching me patience.
And adaptability.
And apparently… upper body strength.

She’s also reminding me that “easy” is not the requirement for something to be right.

Sometimes it’s a process.
Sometimes it’s messy.
And sometimes it comes with rogue windshield wipers and parking sensors that believe in last-second warnings.

Mission Status: Progress with Personality

Wiring: Understood (mostly)
Parking sensors: Functional… with flair
Windshield wipers: Cooperative (we’re watching closely)
Driver: Stronger, wiser, slightly amused

And just in case you were wondering…

Yes.

The adventure continues.