Wednesday Poll: The World is Full of Nice People

I was reading this post on BlogHer the other day (short story--the author gave a woman her ferry ticket and made a new friend) and it got me thinking about all the wonderful friends I've made while traveling.  Most moved in and out of my life in an evening--a few drinks, a few stories, some much needed help at just the right time--but they were friends all the same.  I like to think they're all happy, and I always hope their kindnesses to me were credited to them somewhere down the road.

For this week's poll:

Tell a story of a friend you made while traveling.

Comment and discuss.

Comments

[StacyH]

I'm not a very friendly traveler. I'm more of the "dont talk to strangers" variety.

Although, on our honeymoon we did talk with guests that were staying there. We were friendly I guess but I wouldn't call them friends. They were getting married on the island the following weekend and had stayed there several times before.

I made friends with the resort dogs while I was there. :) Though I can't remember there names either ...

[Fergus' Mom]

LOL, it is rumored that I could talk to walls, so I make 'friends' in long grocery store lines ;o)

Most memorable travel acquired 'friend' was on a trip back to North Carolina from Minnesota. Was delayed in Minneapolis and then had a gate change at the last minute. Hopped up to run to the new gate leaving my ticket on my seat (no idea, I'm a wingnut) and was halfway to the new gate (on the complete other side of the airport) when I figured it out. I broke out of the pack and turned to go back and get the ticket when a priest also broke from the pack, placed himself in my path, and asked me (in the greatest Irish accent EVER) if I was me while wafting my ticket in front of my nose. My new friend saved me a stressful trip back to the first gate AND provided me with enjoyable company on the way to the new gate and as we waited for the flight. I was tickled when I found he was Irish and told him I was of Irish decent only to have him say, 'but I'm FROM Ireland, you silly Americans!' Love these types of encounters, though I have equal numbers of less than stellar travel encounters ;o)

[jennywenny]

I had an amazing thing happen to me. I bumped into a guy I'd met in India when I was on a bus in Israel. It was the shabbat so my brother and I were starting to panick about how to get money and he lent us money, then invited us to stay at his house. We had one of the most memorable evenings at his house. Things like this are what restores my faith in human kind, I'm not religious in any way, so its a really unbelievable co-incidence!

[Meryl]

Gosh, so many stories....

Once when I was lost in Dublin, two Morman missionaries came up to chat with me. I was expecting a religious pitch, and so was a little wary. Instead they not only gave me directions to where I was going, but personally escorted me there--entertaining me by telling stories about their travels as we walked.

Then--on another trip--Sweet Husband and I were in Limmerick for the last night of our Ireland driving trip (there's must be something about Ireland that it encourages people to be friendly). We'd had a horrible evening--flat tire, trouble finding a place to stay, etc.--and stopped for a drink to wash down a not-so-good dinner. A man at a nearby table heard us speaking with American accents and came over to introduce himself. He was an American expat from Chicago, and, not only did he buy us drinks all night, but he again had some great stories about his travels. He turned what would have been a pretty sour ending to our trip into one of the best parts.

Let's see...there was that sweet old French taxi driver who took us to the airport in Paris...and a very cool one in London too, who must've driven my Dad and I around half the city as we finished our souveneir shopping on the way to catch the train to Paris...

I think this is the advantage of traveling by yourself or in a small group. I've done the tour group thing, and it's fun in it's own way, but to really reap the full rewards of travel I think small is the way to go.

How crazy that you ran into the same person in both India and Isreal, Jenny. What are the chances? It's like he was meant to be there.

And FM, I think your story just reiterates my feelings about Irish people--some of the friendliest in the part of the world I've traveled anyway. I could easily retire there some day.

And Stacy, I'm so excited for you and your trip to Germany--go and make some new German friends!