The longer I go without traveling the more I realize how much I got out of it. Not only do I miss the places I went and the photographic scenery, I miss the people that I met along the way. Some of which I just noticed from a far and others became close friends.
Sweden 2005 – The girl I met when I boarded a train to
Stockholm. I was nervous I was on the wrong train, so I asked her. Yep I was on
the right train and bonus as we talked a bit more I found out that she not only
knew about Lindsborg, she had also danced with the Swedish Dancers at Skansen a
few years before.
Sweden 2005 – Emily, Benjamin and Mark. The three people
that made that summer abroad so special. We hung out all the time and there
were so many laughs. Still to this day I can’t look at a bag of cheese puffs or
a crooked tree with out thinking of them.
Sweden 2014 – The woman wailing in the cemetery. I had no
interaction with her, but I could feel her pain as I was trying to find my way
out of the cemetery I had gotten myself lost in. In a weird way I have often
thought back to her sometimes wishing that I could let my feelings come out as
freely as she did. I can not help but hold back my emotions if others are
around.
Sweden 2014 – The night I wandered the city I met a few
interesting people. There were the guys in the bus station that were so
interested in America, but had never heard of Kansas. While I don’t remember
too many details, I do remember at how I laughed to myself about how drunk they
still were, but were also very polite. Quite the combination. There was also
the gentleman from Africa. He started by asking to borrow my cell phone
charger. As he sat next to me charging his phone, we had a wonderfully open conversation
about how he came to Sweden and his estrangement from his family. He talked
about having not talked with his kids in years and the same with his own
father. We sat there and talked about God’s love and how it is never too late
to reach out to those that you love.
Ireland 2016 – Or really I should say Chicago. The guy I met
at the airport who was kind enough to hang out with me for the day that our
flight was delayed.
Ireland 2016 – The
older gentleman that I thought was yelling at me because I was photographing his picturesque house, but instead he just wanted to make sure he had his
hat tilted just right so he could pose for the picture. That’s the type of
person I want to be when I’m that age. He smiled so brightly as I took the
second picture.
Ireland 2016 – The guy in the dining room of the hostel that
I chatted with about how Americans can get drivers licenses so easily compared
to those in the UK. We also talked about the upcoming election. It was interesting
to hear an outsiders perspective. In this same hostel there were the
girls that I had the conversation about how badly I butchered the few words I
know in Portuguese. We ended up hanging out in our room and just talking for a couple of hours.
Paris 2016 – The gentleman who told me he loved me. Sure, he
was probably in his 80s and at first he thought I was stealing the money he dropped.
However, the moment he realized that I was bending down to pick up the money to
give it back to him his face lit up as if no one had shown him simple kindness
in a very long time. He kept saying thank you and I love you over and over as
we exited the subway station. It reminded me that sometimes the smallest gestures
can mean the most in a soul needing kindness.
Paris 2016 – The college student from Florida who was
staying the in the same hostel as me. While we were there the shooting at the Florida
nightclub happened. She was actually from that area and rightly worried about
her friends back home. During a discussion over breakfast I discovered that while
we were on different sides of the political aisle we were able to have a very civil
political discussion. I learned it easier to do so face to face. While I still don’t
like to talk politics, I try to do so in person as you can see as well as hear
their intent and at least there I can better get a sense of their side of the
debate.
New York 2017 – My roommate in the hostel in Brooklyn. She
was on her last day in the states and we decided to go to a Broadway show
together. After the show she was willing to wait for me as I went to the top of
the Empire State Building (she had been earlier that day). Then we got lost on
the way back to the hostel due to subway trains not running the regular route
after midnight. We got off at a shady part of New York City, but together we
were able to find our way back while watching out for each other.
Germany 2018 – The generous people in the Munich courtyard area
that let me sit with them to eat my supper. It’s an overwhelming concept that
in this large outdoor city center that you just find an open seat. Sure, when I’m
with friends or family finding a spot amongst strangers isn’t hard to do, but
alone I found it terrifying. Luckily, there was a group of people that made an
opening so I could have a place to sit. I would find out that they all didn’t
come together, which made it a little easier to be the odd man out.
Germany 2018 – The tour guide for my day trip to the Dachau
Concentration Camp. On the train she shared her story with us. Her father was
German and her mother was Japanese. She was raised for some portion of her
childhood in either the UK or US. I am vague on the details now, but I do
remember that she had been raised with several view points of the war.
Germany 2018 – The kind lady who gave me chocolate after I
cried myself to sleep after receiving the news of my mother’s passing. She also
kindly found my charger after I had a breakdown not being able to find it. She
didn’t know what was going on, she just knew that I was distraught and my soul
needed some kindness.
Flight from Germany to Florida 2018 – I had found a budget
flight home. One of those that if you want any amenities at all you had to pay
for them and you had to pay and order in advance if you wanted a meal. There
was a nice lady who saw that I didn’t have a meal (I didn’t look close enough
when buying the ticket to order a meal) and she gave me one of hers. She said
that it was an extra. Again, a little bit of that kindness that my soul needed
at that time.
Cruise to Mexico 2019 – I’ll end this list with a couple of strangers
who brought ridiculous joy and inspiration to me. The first was a woman about
15 years older than me give or take a few years. She had no problem with being
the life of the party and making sure that everyone had a little glitter in
their life. And by that I mean she actually came around and put glitter on our
faces. The second was a woman who was either going to college to become a music
teacher or was a new music teacher. Either way she would belt out “Shallow” along
with the piano bar musician. She was great and made everyone there feel comfortable.
Actually so did the piano bar man, so I’ll add him to this list as well. He got
us all singing and enjoying the music.
All in all there have been some amazing adventures that I’ve
gone on and I’m more than ready to go on more. Meeting people and learning who
they are even in the shortest moments is one of the best parts of traveling.
That is when you see parts of yourself that you might not have even known were
inside ready to come out. So all I ask of 2021 is please, let me take another
adventure!
