No one showed up for the Zoom call. It’s ok. Life happens sometimes. I still looked forward to meeting this new Travel Partner. We’d find another time to connect.
My contact had lost track of time. At the time of our call his family was honoring a tradition: every year on a July day family members placed orange flowers on the graves of Loved Ones. The day was full of emotions. Of course keeping track of time was secondary to the devotion at hand. Family ahead of business was the right priority.
I was glad that my new friend, someone I did not know, a stranger even, had missed our call. Yes, we were strangers at this point in our relationship and we were not strangers.
Most of us celebrate birthdays. We mourn family members. Our hearts unite us. Often , however, when meeting someone new, we see differences versus similarities. Fast-beating hearts reveal our fear.
The “Watch Out! This person is a stranger” warning is just periphery, noise of an uncomfortable ego asking “Who is this person?” and “Will this person like me?”. As humans we have more in common than not.

Poet David Whyte has said: “A ‘Stranger’s Love’ is best of all“. Not only do Good Samaritans save us on the road sometimes, there is always possibility with someone we have just met, the “one who has yet to emerge”. The “one who has yet to emerge” is also the “stranger inside…the ‘unseen edge’ that we don’t yet know how to talk about, entertain, invite into ourselves.”*
How might we invite in “the stranger” staying open to our shared humanity and engendering the best in ourselves and each person we meet?

Here are Three Tips:
- There’s a whole biography waiting to be heard. Ask thoughtful questions (and stay sensitive to the cultural norms, if necessary). Be curious.
(See a list of questions HERE)
2. For enjoying any culture and gleaning similarities**:
- Acquire a few keys phrases in the country’s language.
- Demonstrate genuine interest and foster understanding.
- Be patient. It can take some effort to understand another person, especially when speaking a different language. Relax and enjoy where you are.
3. Please join us…it’s a simple ask. As hosts, visitors, and travelers, inviting others in to share an experience is truly not too risky. Trust your instincts to connect in a meaningful way and allow them to guide your actions.***
When you want to find beauty in a place, pay attention to who you meet! Beautiful places, beautiful people…they’re all waiting to be met!
THANK YOU to photographers Nikola Johnny Mirkovic (cover photo) and Nick Fewings (Listen photo) on #Unsplash; The photo with me is in Columbia where I traveled alone and met so many loving “strangers”.
*Thank you, David Whyte, for the inspiration shared during his recent Three Sundays’ Series, “Invisible”.