Traveling With Strangers
What if a stranger is just someone you haven’t met yet
I recently took a trip to see my daughter in Colorado.
I live about an hour and a half from the airport. My husband usually drops me off when I travel, but since this was midday on a Tuesday, I figured I would try the airport shuttle that I’d seen around town advertising $19 rides. It ended up costing $44 one way; and from some bad reviews and personal experiences, I almost canceled the shuttle and just drove myself to the airport. I’m SO glad I didn’t!
While the driver was loading my bags, he told me that I may want to sit in the back as he has some extremely chatty passengers. I told him I like chatty as I sat in front.
He was right! There were now four chatty passengers, our ages spanning several decades. We were strangers at the beginning of the trip. A 20-something entrepreneur from California, a 30-something outgoing hairstylist from Pennsylvania, a 50-something well-traveled man from Napa Valley, and me, a 40-something empty-nester from Minnesota.
The conversation was already in progress when I got in. They were talking about different places they’d each traveled, where they would like to go, and favorite experiences. Then, the lady in her 30’s shared something I found interesting; She usually puts her headphones in when she travels so she doesn’t have to talk to other people. She admitted she was glad she didn’t this time because she may have missed out on connecting with us. This stuck with me and I have thought about it several times since.
How many interactions do we miss by closing ourselves off to the rest of the world around us?
When we arrived at the airport, we were all sad the ride was over. Each of us arrived early, so we waited for each other to get through security and decided to get lunch.
We got a table in one of the airport restaurants. We laughed loudly and carried on like old friends. Other travelers at the surrounding tables watched us. They were making comments about how we were a fun travel group; and they couldn’t believe we had all just met!
Our food arrived and 20-something guy and I commented on how good each others’ dishes looked. So we decided to share it! I cut a section of my gyro and gave it to him. In exchange, he offered me some of his fish and chips. I later found when adding the 20-something guy on social media that we already shared connection- with my son. When my now 20-something-year-old-son moved to Hollywood at the tender age of 16 to pursue his dream of acting, he and this stranger had done some acting together. Small world indeed!
Before we parted ways to catch the flights that would take us all in opposite directions, we set up an email chain to stay in touch. As we said our goodbyes, we exchanged well wishes and expressed our joy at having met one another.
Walking to my gate, I was filled with a sense of gratitude for this experience. I was so glad I sat in the front at the beginning of the trip, and that the girl didn’t just put in her headphones. For the rest of the trip, I was hyper-aware of our connections to others.
We each cross paths with strangers all the time. I’ve learned there is a lesson in each and every interaction we have if we are open to it. Even if all we do is smile and acknowledge each other! I carried this awareness with me throughout my trip and by the time I arrived back home in Minnesota, I’d met 14 different people who I connected with in one way or another.
That day on the way to the airport, I realized that I had been so focused on reaching the destination that I had almost forgotten to enjoy the ride. The ride itself not only became part of the adventure, but it also inspired this lesson of mindfulness and spiritual connections.
I am grateful for the reminder that sometimes the journey is just as great as the destination. I am even more grateful for the lesson that sometimes a stranger is just someone you haven’t met yet.
Next time you travel, I hope you will consider getting to know some of the strangers you encounter along the way too!
This story is published in Writers on the Run. If you’re interested in submitting your travel stories please visit our submission guidelines.
