< Travel Fatigue and US hospitality

~ew

Hey, ~tetris! Welcome back!

~bartender? Whatever the returned traveler fancies --- it's on me!

Thanks for your report! I will say that

traveling changes ones perspective on things and life, possibly a lot!

folks over the planet are mostly nice, some more open minded than others, but that is not surprising, is it?

and yes, "characters" are what makes the whole endeavor worthwhile.

Shall I add a few examples of my own?

Me standing at the station of the light rail in San Diego, coming back from Mexico, staring at my insufficient small change. Some guy stops. "How much is missing?" "50 cent I believe?" He gave me two quarters, said "Have a nice day!" and walked on. THANK YOU!

Me hitching a ride in Wales on an almost dry Thursday morning. The second! car stops, a VW van. "Where you're heading?" Don't remember, possibly Aberystwyth. He checks his watch. "Well, I'm running late already. I should be there now. And when I arrive I should be at the next place. So I can definitely waste a little more time, pick up someone and have a nice chat, right?" We had very interesting conversation for the next half hour or so. I never forgot this guy.

Me hitching another ride in Pennsylvania. Someone gives me a lift. At the end he shows me the rattle snake he had caught and was carrying elsewhere in a cage. I mean, how probable is this?

Me waiting for the Bus in Buffalo, NY, reading a book. Next thing I know, there is a girl sitting two seats away, reading "the same!" book, at roughly the same page! Waiting for that same bus, of course. We had a nice conversation, and I met her again on the way back to Toronto.

I could go on. Only slow travels will make this happen.

Cheers ~tetris, and all you other travelers. May you have surprising encounters!

PS: and yes, there is a point, where it's enough. Has happened to me.

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~tetris wrote:

Cheers to you too - and that's awesome -- it's crazy how it just takes one small act of kindness to make someone's day. I wish these sorts of things were reported on more!

The world is so small when you speak with strangers