As we have all come back from our winter travels, my friends and I decided to tomar algo and naturally we began sharing stories with each other—where we went, what we saw, etc. Although we all traveled to different cities --Italy, London, Portugal, and Germany to name a few--we had something in common with our trips: we met people from all over the world with interesting stories, exotic cultures, and different languages. The beautiful thing about traveling is that you find (for the most part I would say) the most open-minded people. Almost everyone is willing to share with you their language, culture, and a little bit into who they are and how they ended up at the same place as you. I think it’s incredible how we can all be from different places but find each other in the few days we have together. You almost feel like relationships are fast-forwarded with the people you meet as you spend a lot of time together walking around the city, grabbing a bite to eat, or site seeing. It’s strange how easy it can be sometimes to connect with a complete stranger.
When you look back on your travels, you’ll probably vaguely remember the name of the buildings you saw, the food you ate, and the history behind the city. What you usually remember most (at least for me that is) are the people you meet, their story, and your time together. I remember that really funny night when...or that crazy time you...or how we poured our hearts to each other. I began traveling in 2012 when I decided to spend a semester abroad in Valencia, Spain. It was then that I started to realize that these relationships you form from traveling constantly come and go, viene y va—people fall in and out of your life. That is the reality of things, and it’s both beautiful and sad—beautiful because of how strong of a bond you can form with someone and sad because you may very well never see them again.
Although a lot of the relationships from traveling have fallen out of my life, I’ve always taken away something from that person or group of people, whether it be something as simple as advice on where to travel next or what hostel to stay, and even things a bit more complex, like a new perspective on something or a greater appreciation of life. Although you may never see them again, you share an unforgettable moment together that will be a memory for a lifetime. Sometimes you wonder if you had met in another time, how would things be different? I have found that if these relationships were meant to be in passing, then let it be, and if they were meant to grow outside of all of the traveling and site seeing, then allow it to happen naturally. So to all those people I have met while traveling—whether we remain strangers who happened to cross paths on a weekend away or become friends for a lifetime, I will be forever grateful for being able to share and learn about another’s culture and for the opportunity to enjoy one another’s company.
Yours truly,
TLT
When you look back on your travels, you’ll probably vaguely remember the name of the buildings you saw, the food you ate, and the history behind the city. What you usually remember most (at least for me that is) are the people you meet, their story, and your time together. I remember that really funny night when...or that crazy time you...or how we poured our hearts to each other. I began traveling in 2012 when I decided to spend a semester abroad in Valencia, Spain. It was then that I started to realize that these relationships you form from traveling constantly come and go, viene y va—people fall in and out of your life. That is the reality of things, and it’s both beautiful and sad—beautiful because of how strong of a bond you can form with someone and sad because you may very well never see them again.
Although a lot of the relationships from traveling have fallen out of my life, I’ve always taken away something from that person or group of people, whether it be something as simple as advice on where to travel next or what hostel to stay, and even things a bit more complex, like a new perspective on something or a greater appreciation of life. Although you may never see them again, you share an unforgettable moment together that will be a memory for a lifetime. Sometimes you wonder if you had met in another time, how would things be different? I have found that if these relationships were meant to be in passing, then let it be, and if they were meant to grow outside of all of the traveling and site seeing, then allow it to happen naturally. So to all those people I have met while traveling—whether we remain strangers who happened to cross paths on a weekend away or become friends for a lifetime, I will be forever grateful for being able to share and learn about another’s culture and for the opportunity to enjoy one another’s company.
Yours truly,
TLT