The thought occurred to me this morning that I’ve already met so many people in two full days here. Part of what I love about travel is new connections and real connections with travelers.
I’ve already met people from Finland, Columbia, Norway, Italy, Holland, Australia, Seattle, New York, and India. I’ve heard conversations in Japanese, probably Korean, German, British English and more.
When I went to see Putra the other night, I met two men from Italy, one living in Seattle. The one from Seattle works with Rick Steves who has travel programs on PBS and writes the travel books. Yesterday I met Sari, a young woman from Bali who contracted Dengue Fever in 2007, spent a month in the hospital and nearly died. She feels “reborn” and runs a school for handicapped children, is starting a women’s leadership group and has applied for a leadership training program in Canada. I hope to go visit her school.
Much of the richness of travel for me is these “real” connections. From Ryan inviting me behind the bar, working with his staff, making my own coffee, to Tina from Holland sharing her intent in life, to Sari sharing her life and other travelers sharing the inner journey taking place for them while they outwardly travel.
I believe this same richness is possible in the US, when people stop being so busy. Going and going and going and doing and doing and doing! It seems a bit insane really! My Dutch friend Helen summed it up for me years ago this way, from her perspective. “People are so busy doing and doing and doing, when they slow down all they have is a bunch of “do do”. ”
Now, off to this days adventures. Ciao