Bon Voyage

“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

There was a NYT story not long ago about the difficulty of making and keeping friends in your 30s. It made a lot of sense. Friendships take time and patience to build, two things that only get scarcer as we grow older, move around, and start families. As anti-social as I’ve become, preferring to spend time alone almost as much as with company, there are still countless times when I meet someone and have the most wonderful conversation, really wishing I could get to know them better, only to let them become just a face in the crowd, or a name in my Facebook friends list.

Since I’ve been on the road, these moments have only increased in frequency. Not surprising of course, as the people I meet on the road have often traveled to places that I have never heard of, and experienced adventures that almost seem made up. That’s what makes traveling alone exciting for me, to be able to walk into a hostel, get on a boat, or jump into a tuk-tuk, and hear the amazing stories a stranger might tell.

In many ways we are very different. Most likely we are from different continents, or at least countries. Some are much younger, others are young at heart. I’ve met people who have been on the road for years, and also found some newbies jetlagged from their first trans-Atlantic/Pacific flight. There are always the partiers, the temple hoppers, and the ones who just want to chill. You’ll find the ones with everything planned to the minute and those with no plans and no return flight. You’ll never find a more eclectic bunch, yet for the most part, there’s almost an immediate connection — we are outsiders finding our way through a strange new culture, and we love it. So the conversation never ends, there are always stories to be told and photos/videos to share. When there’s a break in the travel talks, the discussions around world politics, plastic surgery, or the latest celebrity gossip are even more fascinating.

So it’s especially sad when I have to say goodbye to my fellow globetrotters, knowing that the possibility of meeting again is pretty slim. I’d like to take a brief moment to thank Facebook to at least let me keep in touch with a few, even if only to watch their adventures from afar (yes, like a creepy Internet stalker). Knowing that they are also on the road gives me courage to pack up my bags again, comforted by the thought that I’m not the only crazy one, and even if I only have a one way ticket (ok, also credit/debit cards), I’ll always find friends along the way.

With that note, to all my fellow wanderers, hope you are enjoying your journey, wherever you are 🙂