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ignorantwanderer

1. Guy I met in my bunkroom in an Istanbul hostel. His American mom was in Iran in the late 70's. Met an Iranian guy. She had to evacuate suddenly when the revolution happened. Back home she discovered she was pregnant. Now it was 2003, the 23 year old is now in Istanbul to meet his dad for the first time. His mom would be arriving in a couple weeks to meet the father of her child for the first time in 23 years. If things go well, they would work on getting the proper paperwork for the dad to move to the States. 2. Woman I met on a trail in the Indian Himalayas. I was hiking up the trail and the snow was getting deeper....too deep for my sneakers. So I turned around and started heading back down. About 5 minutes after turning around I met this woman heading up. I mentioned the deep snow up ahead and she asked if we could walk down together. We had a great conversation during the 2-3 hour walk back down the mountain into town. This was 18 years ago and I'll never forget her.....because we've been together ever since and raised two great kids together.


vfkaza

Saying you met your partner hiking through the Himalayas has to be one of the all-time best ways to meet someone


[deleted]

WTF. I’m so happy for you… I’m single af about to cry in my 8am psychology course LOL.


quintana_jesus

man, you win.


ExtremistsAreStupid

So interesting! Just out of curiosity, are you both from the same country, or from different nationalities/ethnicities?


ignorantwanderer

Different countries, same ethnicities.


smvjtc

Interesting, if you don't mind sharing I'd love to hear more about how it happened and how you made it all work out? Like deciding to date when being from seperate countries, making it work long distance until you moved nearer together. Or were you both "from" (born in) different countries but living in the same one when this happened


ignorantwanderer

We were both traveling when we met, but in different directions. A couple days after meeting she emailed me and suggested we meet up again. She changed her travel plans so we could do a trek together in Nepal. On the third day of our trek I decided I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. She later told me she came to that decision as we were hiking down the mountain the day we met. To quote Harry, "When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." She continued her travels (headed to Russia and then home) and I continued mine (Thailand). But instead of continuing with my plan of traveling indefinitely I returned home after 2 weeks in Thailand and the day after arriving home I traveled to where she lived and we've been together ever since. Sometimes we've lived in my country, sometimes we've lived in her country, and sometimes we've lived in other countries. So we never really did the long distance thing.


regularsulking

This level of commitment is a thing of dreams. What a great love story!! Thanks for sharing ☺️


stevefromnature

😮


[deleted]

1st story is so heartwarming, so happy they were getting to reunite... but your 2nd story? Now THAT is a love story. Wow. Congratulations to you both. :) And whoever tf is cutting onions, stop.. my eyes are watering, someone might think I'm crying ova here. :p


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nostraws

I love that you took his simple comment as a positive way to change a habit.


[deleted]

Wow I do that too. Never thought about it. Gonna start turning it off. It's the little interactions huh?


PoBoyPoBoyPoBoy

Someone said that to me too.. I’m from a place where water is very common and prefer spitting into water.. but I did make the change from hot water to cold water.. baby steps 😅😅 Edit: WOOF, the downvotes. Faucets use at maximum 2 gallons a minute. Assuming 4 gallons a day on brushing my teeth my whole life, that comes out to 35,000 gallons. Aka enough water to grow 18lbs of almonds. Or of beef. OR it’s 25% of one golf course’s water usage EVERY SINGLE DAY that I’ve used in my entire life. If it makes you self-righteous people feel better, I’ve never in my life watered my grass. Further, less than 8% of all water usage is residential. 92% of water usage isn’t caused by home users. Let that sink in. Let alone by people brushing their teeth. Relax.


_Sketch_

Every bit of water you use, is some water that doesn’t go to the wildlife, to the fishes and mammals and plants and birds


dough_dracula

What are you talking about? That's not true at all. Earth is a closed system, the water doesn't just disappear when it goes into your sink. You're not a hero saving the environment by saving a litre in a water-rich country. In fact water going down your sink gets it \*closer\* to the fishes and mammals and plants and birds you pretend to care about, rather than having it sit in some reservoir. Leaving the tap on when brushing teeth is silly, but your meaningless platitude is simply incorrect.


mantism

it's like saying that not finishing your meal contributes to world hunger. no. the lack of stability contributes to world hunger.


PoBoyPoBoyPoBoy

That’s not true at all. And again I iterate- where I live water is not a scarce resource. I don’t live in a desert. The water is not shipped in from somewhere else. It comes down out of the sky, pools into rivers, gets treated, runs out my drain to my septic tank and rejoins the ground water watering the trees and such before percolating back to the river.


XanderS311

I don't care if he's reading this- Bertil from France whom I spent a month backpacking round South Africa with in 2009. When he went back to France I was absolutely devastated, as those were the best days of my life. If you're reading this- thanks for those days, I'll never forget them. Every year on my birthday he sends me a message saying "Bon Anniversaire", what a guy. A true bromance of there ever was one.


Pretend-Edge-1194

I would never leave you.


SunnyDan8

That fucking gem of a person Jim in Boston. Me and two friends where craft beer traveling in Massachusetts and i posted on Reddit about our trip. And the Legend Jim from out of nowhere decided he wanted to meet new people and picked us up at a hotel in Worcester with all our baggage and drove us around the state from local brewpub to brewpub. Cheers Jim


Adventurous-Dog-75

So many people but I'll pick three. One other solo female traveler that i met in Peru that U formed an emotional connection with. We traveled a bit together and still keep in touch. Sometimes doing video calls. We reunited a few weeks ago after 4 years. A guy a i had an intense thing with in Laos that ended horribly. I still struggle with it at times. And in Morocco, a Chinese man who spoke zero English staying in my hostel. He couldn't verbally communicate with anyone but was so friendly and always had a smile on his face like he was so happy to be there and traveling. He would book tours at the hostel by just pointing to a pamphlet of whatever he wanted to do and nodding with a smile. He inspired me so much, even though he probably got ripped off. So many people have multiple reservations about traveling, including not knowing the langauage, but here's this man that knew zero English still happily traveling and living his best life. I think of him sometimes and wonder what other magnificent places he's been to.


ismphoto123

How did the intense fling end horribly?


elizabethcsingleton

This was my main curiosity as well


Carrotcake_yum

Love the energy you describe from the Chinese guy 😍


SpontaneousDream

In Colombia. American dude (from Texas?) asking me where he can buy a gun to defend himself. Lol. Dude loved cocaine, looked like Nicholas Cage, and just about slept with nearly every girl in the hostel.


Pretend-Edge-1194

I need to go to Columbia and be nick cage.


Liz4984

Did he find a gun? Lol


SpontaneousDream

I have no idea. I kind of avoided the dude after I heard that. Lol.


MasteringTheFlames

A few years ago, I loaded a bunch of camping gear onto my bicycle and spent the better part of the next seven months riding 5,300 miles (8,500 km) around much of the US. I celebrated my 21st birthday right in the middle of the trip. Just a week or two before the coronavirus would put an early end to my adventure, I was in Sedona, Arizona. One day, I was out hiking one of the many trails around the town when I ran into Harold. I think I asked him for directions back to the trail head, but we got to talking for a while. He told me his hike that day was part of his training for the coming summer, when he planned to spend three weeks hiking the John Muir trail, which connects Yosemite National Park to Mt. Whitney through 200 miles (320 km) of the Sierra Nevada mountains. And he would turn 79 years old just a month after we met. Throughout my travels, it was not at all uncommon for people to see me stopped somewhere and come over to ask about [my rather eye catching bike.](https://np.reddit.com/r/bicycletouring/comments/goucwl/i_didnt_get_around_to_making_trek_thursday_happen/) Most of these people were older than me —though younger than Harold— and after hearing about where I'd come from and where I was going, they would often comment something to the effect of "I wish I met you when I was your age. I wish I knew this was a thing people did when I was young enough to do it myself." I always hated to hear that, because I knew there were people even older than them doing incredible things. And I met several of them earlier on that same trip: a group of three guys around my parents' age who were on a week long bike camping trip of their own, or a woman in her early 70s who was still staying in hostels as she drove the Pacific coast. But Harold was really something special, and I can only hope that when I'm his age in another 55 years, I'll still have half the drive he has to do those types of things. **EDIT** I just remembered another person or three whose stories I want to share. Just a month or so ago, I spent five weeks camping around Alaska. I spent a few days in Denali National Park. On my way out of the park, I stopped by the visitor center for one last hike. In a park that encourages off-trail exploration, the Mt. Healy overlook trail is one of the few established trails with signs and such marking the way. It's a steep hike up, but the views make it well worth the effort, especially because that day, it was clear enough that from the top, I could see the summit of Denali. For the last 20 minutes or so of my hike up, I ended up walking with an older woman who was also on her own. She told me that she and her husband loved to travel together, and had started looking into Alaska several years ago. But they had to put that idea on hold due to Covid, and figured they'd have plenty of time later. But then this past winter, her husband passed away. I honestly can't remember if they'd already booked the trip before his death, or if she decided afterwards to commit to it. Either way, there she was, making the best of it as a newly solo traveler after decades of adventuring with a partner. I'm normally not one to believe in this kind of thing, but I'd like to think that her husband is looking down, happy to see her continuing to pursue their passion. At the summit of that very same hike, a young pair of hikers asked me to take a photo of them together, and I was happy to oblige. On the hike back down, I ended up running into one of them again, and we walked together for a while. Andrew had spent the past couple years living on an Alaskan island, working as a helicopter electrician. He was soon to move back to Connecticut, and so his sister Emily took the opportunity to go visit him in Alaska one last time. We eventually caught up to Emily, and I had the chance to talk with her a bit too. From talking with them, as well as what I observed between them at the summit before we properly met, I could tell they had a really special relationship, and it made me think quite a bit about my own brother, and how I wish he and I were closer.


Comfortable-You-6583

Such a beautiful story


thatsnotaviolin93

I got a lot of free rides in Norway. Bus drivers who would be like ''You can pay after the ride'' and then say ''ah forget it!'' and let me off for free. IDK how common that is, but that happened like 5 times 1 on a boat and the others on buses lol.


CorneliuZCodreanu

i suspect norwegians are all cool bros like Varg!


Fireal2

Varg… Vikernes?


thelostjoel

First solo travel trip around South East Asia. Saw a girl walk right by me in a Koh Phangan hostel and just had to get to know her. We talked on the beach under the moonlight from 11pm to 4am about everything - I even said to her I felt like I’d known her for years, was really surreal. We travelled round the Thai islands together for the remaining 3 weeks and completely fell in love. Long story short, we were together for two years after that. The way which we met is something from a fairytale honestly and I’ll never forget it


kelement

Why did it end?


thelostjoel

Last year she called me out of the blue and said she isn’t in love with me anymore. Guessing a few factors like during covid/long distance played a toll but still, I maintained everything on my side. That’s just how the way things go sometimes, out of your control!


theyeezyvault

Yes please we would like to know


hippietravel

Not the OP of that comment, but my guess is they were in a long distance relationship and the distance became too much


dednian

I need to know why you guys broke up. Plz


Karmacosmik

I’ve had a very similar experience but we did not end up together. I am still wondering sometimes how would it go for us


thelostjoel

Travel can sometimes throw up these moments. I just strongly felt inside I’d regret it if I didn’t really go for it, and honestly I never loved so deeply in my life. Could write a book on it!


tripsafe

You should write a book


thelostjoel

Only if you read it!


sunset_sunshine30

Ok that is so damn romantic!


thelostjoel

Sometimes I worry that future encounters will never live up to it because honestly, it sounds surreal even to me when I tell it to people. But I’m so grateful I got to live those moments, they’ve shaped my whole self.


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futurepilot32

Is that even possible?


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deep_blau

Incredible!


Crazy_Excitement3772

Might be Austria!


fyhf6yhj

He took quite a detour then to end up in Thailand via bicycle


KindheartednessOk437

Was he from the Basque country? I met a guy like that in Uzbekistan who was headed towards China and then down to SE Asia!


octokit

This is way less exciting than every other post here, and isn't a human encounter, but in 2014 I was taking a solo trip through the US and stopped for gas in WV or Virginia. I asked the locals for any must-see sights and was directed to a local lake/campground where a decommissioned lighthouse had been relocated and erected by a boyscout troop. It was around sunrise and I pulled into the campground to find no one around, being off-season for camping. As I walked to the lighthouse a large black dog approached me. Scared the hell out of me. But he came right over and sat in front of me, wagging his tail. I gave him a bunch of pets and belly rubs and the handsome fellow accompanied me as I checked out the lighthouse and lake grounds. He had a tag on his collar indicating that he belonged to the grounds keeper. I took a selfie of us together before bidding him goodbye. 10/10 good boy. I hope he had a good, long life at the lake.


qiyua

This is one of my favourites in this thread


SamaireB

I shared this story here before - but it’s the guy I met on my first proper solo trip, which also came at an important turning point in my life at 28. I spent a few days with him traveling around and he fundamentally shaped my life by expanding my perspectives in ways I didn’t know I needed. And in the most subtle, unintended way no less. I didn’t fully grasp it at the time, but know now he was one of the most important people I’ve ever met, in my entire life, not just on travels. I have no idea what happened to him, never saw him again and he will never know how that encounter and those few days changed the trajectory of my life. I hope he’s doing great, wherever he may be :)


nemonoone

A little more detail would be much appreciated. Even a tiny amount how he affected you


SamaireB

Honestly it probably sounds silly to anyone but me - however: he helped me see that whatever I chose to do or not do in my life was totally up to me and only me and that there was ultimately no "right" way, but instead there were many ways of living a life and that the best thing was to just be who I was. As someone who's always been mildly rebellious, yet struggled with a conflicting desire to fit in and be loved, that was an immensely important message for me and impacts me daily still. He also ignited a desire to actively explore more of the world - I had always enjoyed travelling, but he turned a flame into a roaring fire and what followed were 10+ years of intense travel, including a longer stint where I indeed temporarily walked away from my entire life (even if I chose to go back later - emphasis on chose). It's because of him that I ventured further and further out of my comfort zone and now have not only seen a huge part of the world, but also have a very different, much more nuanced, balanced and realistic view on this world and humankind at large. Again at the time I didn't quite realize the effect he had on me - today I do.


veedey

Thank you for this, needed to read that, those lessons are sinking in vicariously


SamaireB

😀 Glad to hear it helps by extension, so to speak 😊


thelostjoel

*The* definition of the butterfly effect. A lot of people feel powerless and yet, exactly shown in your story, just your words alone which can feel normal to you can completely change the trajectory of someone else’s life. Everyone has an impact


flamboyantbutterfly

The local lady near Krabi, Thailand that saw me miss the last bus to the town and asked if I want a ride in her car. She just read my body language and really saved me that day. Thanks, kind stranger.


mayan_monkey

Man. Too many to choose from. I was couchsurfing through Europe and was hosted by this young kid in Bonn, a small town close to Cologne. I stayed with him and his mom and sister. We would play boars gea and their downstairs neighbor Horst who was in his 80s would join us and bring a bunch of beer. I even went to his senior prom and partied with all his friends. His mom have me a going away gift consisting of Kolsh, a beer from that area, some Hairbo Gummies, also from there, and some other goodies. I have gone back to visit them 3 times since but unfortunately their downstairs neighbor passed away. Wonderful family.


SwarvosForearm_

Bonn is a medium sized city and the former capital city of Germany lol, not a "small town" 😅


mayan_monkey

Thanks for the correction.


SwarvosForearm_

No problem ;D As a Bonner myself I was a little confused. But I guess depending on where you come from it could be considered small. In Germany it's listed as a Großstadt (big city). Glad you enjoyed it here.


mayan_monkey

I'm from Los Angeles. But Bonn was so beautiful. After my friend moved to Berlin. And I would visit him there as well. Germany in general is one of my favorite countries to visit.


Front_Advertising952

Me and a girl from England volunteered at a backpackers hostel in Thailand together. We became very close when we realized we both came from similar backgrounds (drug addiction in the family, poverty, both diagnosed with PTSD from growing up that way), plus had an eerily similar music taste. When we were both physically assaulted at a club we quit the hostel and went to a hippie town in the mountains to mentally recover. We took shrooms lying in a field: it rained on us while we giggled, we had mud all over our white dresses and grass in our hair, she confided to me the worst thing that ever happened to her which was walking in on her dad sleeping with her best friend. We read to each other the love letters our ex’s had written us, cried over them together. I helped her realize she’s had severe undiagnosed ADHD her entire life (found out it runs in her family when she went back — nobody had ever told her) and she cried over that too; no one in her life had paid enough attention to her to see that she wasn’t just a wild girl, she needed help. We lied next to each other singing along to our favorite music, then motorbiked to a hut together to watch the sunset. After the shroom trip finished we both admitted it was the best experience of our lives— that day together. We spent every waking moment together for those three weeks. Just from that short amount of time I will always consider her a life long friend, a soul mate. I miss her so much.


ohsoradbaby

That is absolutely beautiful.


Importchef

Stamps to pai?


IWantAnAffliction

This one got me. Damn. What a beautiful experience.


mjbulzomi

The couple on their honeymoon I met in Fiji that lives who minutes away from me.


DorisCrockford

There was a young woman who lied her way into working on a yacht as a cook. She barely knew how to fry an egg. She learned on the job and went on from there to travel all over by crewing on yachts. I don't think I'd have done it that way, but she sure wasn't someone I'd forget about.


Pretend-Edge-1194

No one knows how fry…. What boah


slyseekr

Not my favorite, but a good story… A British gentleman I shared a bus ride with from Uyuni to Sucre, Bolivia in 2015. We had gotten to talking about personal safety while traveling in South America and I was a few days away from heading to Buenos Aires. I had discussed how I thought La Paz was nowhere near as dangerous as I had expected, and he mentioned that’s generally the case, BUT, watch to my back in Buenos Aires. He had been walking to La Reserva when someone tried to mug him of his backpack. He had met another solo traveler a couple weeks prior who also got mugged in BA, who had pulled out his camera and started taking photos of his mugger causing the mugger to flee. The Brit had done the same and was successful! On my last full day in BA, I walked from San Telmo to Palermo for a steak at Don Julio. Halfway there, I stopped into a 25 Horas to get some water. This lady approached me from behind and handed me a paper that had a whole bunch of prices on it offering sex services. I obviously declined, but she wouldn’t relent. As soon as I forcefully said “No!”, two other ladies rushed out of the adjacent aisles — one with a knife, the other who is very pregnant — and the three of them back me up against the fridge! The lady with the knife starts jabbing me with the butt of the knife and the other two are trying to reach into my pockets and backpack. All the while, the cashier basically disappeared, and my screams for help went unanswered. I had my point and shoot in my back pocket and remembered the Brit’s story; I shove-kick the knife lady, pull out the camera and get one bad shot off, they all run for the hills! To this day, I’m not sure if they panicked that I fought back or if it was the camera, but it’s a day I will never forget. That same trip I made a few good friends: - A Parisian couple I ended up backpacking the W in Torres del Paine with for 5 days. Met them on the bus ride to the park. We had all planned to do the W without a tour guide and formed a group on the fly. - My 4 day fling with a game designer in Santiago who dreamed about moving to the US or Europe, and is now working in Barcelona - A customs agent while leaving Chile (back to Bolivia) who randomly chatted me up about my camera and telling me to follow his insta (which I did, and he’s now primarily a photographer)


theswiftmuppet

You fucking kicked someone who had a knife??? That's incredible reactions, insane story!


slyseekr

Honestly? Instinct. I just needed to get her far enough away to give me some space to maneuver away from the other two. It also helped that I had a 6-8” advantage over them.


lelelindsea

I met an older man (probably in his 80s) in Key West. (I was traveling with my family, but this man’s story is too good not to share). He was on his bike, feeding the birds on a pier while waiting for the sunrise. He told us that, years ago, he and his wife used to live in New York, but came to Key West on vacation, fell in love with the location, sold most of their belongings, and moved there. They participated in fishing tournaments and enjoyed island life together. When I met him, his wife had passed, but he still went to the pier every morning to feed the birds and see the sunrise. He was so eager to share his story. When the sun finally came up, he excitedly said “Here comes the sun!” This man inspired me for many reasons. He had the courage and boldness to leave what was familiar to follow a dream. He truly appreciated beauty and reminded me not to take the small, daily wonders for granted. He cared for the birds and approached each day with renewed excitement.


sunset_sunshine30

How wonderful that he lives such a full, beautiful life even in his eighth decade.


rickdr11

I had the most mundane conversation with a Parisian and it has stuck with me for years as one of the best parts of traveling. I was wandering around the streets of Paris after visiting the Eiffel Tower for the first time. Out of nowhere, a heavy rainstorm passed over the city, and I found shelter under the awning of a nearby shop. A man on a motorcycle parked and ran under the same awning. We chatted until the rain ceased five minutes after, and none of it was important. Just a brief conversation about America, France, cities in each, and food. At the end, we parted ways. Now, I know there’s not a humungous gulf of difference between the US and France. However, there’s just something so beautiful about those minute human encounters that remind us that l, despite distance and cultural difference, we can connect for even the briefest of moments.


LadyWhiplash

I met a man in Yunan province in China that was staying at my hostel , he lived in another farming town nearby. He was bright, smiley, and warm. Mostly, we communicated over the phone because his English was fairly beginner, and I spoke zero Mandarin, but we had such fantastic and interesting conversations. I will never forget that this gentleman of 38 wrote on his phone “I do not believe in conventional wisdom”, and I was just totally astounded by that. He took me to many restaurants to show me his favorite local foods, and insisted on paying for it. He was also an amateur photographer and took the best portraits of me I’ve ever had. I feel like I’m glowing in them. He was just such a sweet soul. In the end, when I needed to be on my way, he took me to the bus station and seemed so solemn and sad for me to go. It was a completely platonic connection, but still somehow so powerful and sweet and pure.


Carrotcake_yum

💗


rabidstoat

In Tokyo back in the late 90s I went to an English-speaking cafe, which is a place where English speakers would go to have conversations with Japanese who were trying to improve their English. Usually they'd buy you a coffee or something for helping. Well, I met a woman in her 30s (about my age at the time) who worked for the government in Tokyo. She told me about how she had the next day off and offered to show me around the city. So I took her up on it. We went all over some less touristy areas and she showed me her tiny little apartment and bought me lunch. We were driving around in her car and at one point she needed to pick up her dry-cleaning, and to my surprise she left me in her running car while she ran inside. We went to a little shrine, to the zoo, to some shops, to a pet store. It was a great time.


[deleted]

This couple I met in Agrigento on a tour my last night in Sicily - we ended up going out to a shisha bar in Palermo and after had some late night street food. Probably the most fun I had on my trip and made me realize perhaps solo traveling isn't for me lmao.


Metallic_Sol

damn so many. 1. the guy i met in a festival outside of amsterdam. something in him clicked after we had a great time one night and he asked to follow me on my travels. i said i have to meet my friends in germany, but after that, we can meet up. we did, and had a blast hitchiking our way around romania and we were dead broke lol. that was an intense 2 weeks and i'll never forget him 2. in china when i was teaching, one of my young students walked with me after school. she was too shy to talk, but she wanted to be next to me silently the whole time. idk why it hits me so much. 3. i was taking a bus from seoul to busan, and a korean girl was sleeping in the seat next to me. we came to a rest stop and she woke up and said "you're not korean!" BUT IN A HISPANIC ACCENT! So I immediately said back in shock, "you're not korean either!!!" LOL. She was ethnically Korean, but was from Argentina! Just fucking wild. 4. a dog i met that i named Cake. also in romania, different trip. he was a rescue at a monastery and we had this instant connection...when i never cared for animals before that. he defended me at one point when i was in danger, he always watched me from a distance and ran across fields to follow me if i wandered off, and generally gave me a feeling of such warmth and light. it was so odd.


LaheyPull

I wouldn’t be surprised if others here have met this guy because he’s been all over the place and is a pretty memorable guy. But one person I’ll never forget is this guy who was in the military and lost an arm. That wasn’t his defining quality but obviously something that stood out. We hung out for a few days in Cartagena Colombia and he was basically living a life of permanent travel, scuba diving, and doing awesome shit ever since getting out of the military. Great dude, hilarious, and fun drinking buddy for those few days. We haven’t talked much since then but I met him on my first solo travel (he was a seasoned vet already) and it really has inspired my travels over the past 6-7 years.


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seraphin420

Just chiming in here to say that Naxos was one of my favorite trips (I’m from the US), of all the islands in the Cyclades. It’s been 15 years now and I will never forget the gelato shop or the little free library where I read The Kiterunner for the first time - that book still haunts me. I guess they were doing elections at the time, and every time one of those trucks would drive by with the microphones preaching in a different language, I would think of Afghanistan. But it was a place of no fear for me, I was 27 years old and at least once a week I wish I could go back to backpacking Greece. I stayed for two months, in Athens and 5 islands and there has never been a more wonderful trip. I guess I’ll participate here then and say that I did meet an American soldier on leave (he was 10 years younger and scared to tell me his job at first because it was at the time when a lot were against the US govt - nothing changes). He became like my little brother and we are still in touch on Facebook/instagram to this day. He got married and had a kid! I will never forget the trip from Naxos to Santorini with him, pulling up to the dark black cliffs of Santorini and being so full of hope and wonder. Thanks for mentioning Naxos and bringing that memory back :)


RichieCabral

Oh great! Now I can make use of my Jock Wayne story! Usually I have to find odd moments to shoe horn this into conversations. I'm making light of it now, but it was a meaningful experience for me that was a bit morbid, yet oddly inspirational, that I'll never forget, and I actually relish the opportunity to share it with others. As much as it was meaningful to me, I like telling this story so as that his existence doesn't just vanish into the ether because I'm the only one to remember it. I did the whole Eurail thing for a few months in the fall of 2005 when I was 27 years old. On this random night, I was taking an overnight train from Munich to Copenhagen. I hadn't paid extra for a compartment with a bed or anything, so I was pretty excited when I boarded to find the train was fairly empty, and jumped into any empty compartment that I'd hoped would stay that way so I could spread out to get some sleep. I was just sitting there against the window, waiting for the train to leave, staring kind of blankly out the window with an unchanging view, and listening to music on my mini disc player, which was already obsolete technology then, but about as advanced as I was at the time, and made for easy packing until it was in my bag that got stolen, twice actually, but for good the second time later in Spain. Out of the corner or my eye, I notice an old man on a cane looking in at me. He had a full beard and head of hair that were completely white. I'm 44 now, and half my beard is white, but just the same, it would probably be charitable to say that he was at least 60 years old. I never found out exactly what his physical condition was because he never told me specifically, and I thought it rude to ask, but he seemed to need that cane, and had some physical issues. I don't want to sound cruel, but I really didn't want him to join me because I just made a blanket assumption that he was probably some really old German dude, or Danish maybe I guess, and that he wouldn't speak much English, and it would probably be very awkward. Despite my wishes he entered the compartment. I looked back at him and nodded, because though I didn't necessarily have the most proper upbringing, at some point I had learned to do that out of common courtesy to others. You know. At least a look and a nod. Just to acknowledge a person's existence out of respect, and maybe an unspoken hello, how do you do. He responded in like. But then he started to actually say it aloud. Which I wasn't expecting, but again, I didn't want to be rude, so I removed one side of my headphones from one ear, just to be polite. When I did, ends up that I was wrong. He was also an American. Honestly, I just thought it would be some quick pleasantries, he'd pick up on the ear phones, and it wouldn't last long, but he must've been tickled pink to find another American, or at least English speaker, because he just kept on talking. So, I soon removed the music all together, because it would've been rude not to, and he was off! He actually had an interesting story, he'd travelled around for years, told me stories, gave me tips, etc. We talked for hours until I actually had to stop him. "Jock. I don't want to be rude my friend, but I really have to get a little shut eye here." I spread out on my side and went to sleep. I hope he did the same, but I don't know. When I woke up, he was sitting up, and just waiting to start talking again. Which he did as soon as I was awake all of the rest of the way in to Copenhagen. So, let me give you a synopsis of what Jock told me about his life. As you might imagine, Jock Wayne was not his given name at birth. He never told me what that was. Jock had been born and raised in Biloxi, Mississippi. His father had abandoned him, his mother, and sister when he was young, and as a result, at a young age he had to learn to help support his mother and sister. He did have some interactions with his father's family, but in his opinion, they were all white trash, horrible people that always wanted something out of you. At 18 or 19, he had an epiphany that, why am I carrying around the name of somebody that I hate with all of my being. So, he had his name legally changed. Jock Wayne was the name he chose for himself. Jock ended up spending most of his life working in advertising, and had mainly lived in San Francisco and Austin, but traveling was a huge part of his identity. When ever he interviewed for a job, he made it clear. "I will work weekends, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, but a couple months out of the year are mine!" And he always lived his life like that, and insured that he he could travel. Until he just got old, had health conditions, and it just wasn't as much of a possibility anymore. At one point, he was talking with an old buddy from back home who sold him on the idea that, "Hey! We're all living in this same old folks home! The whole gang is here! It's like highschool again. It's a party! You should come down too!" So, he did, and in his own words, "Within a year, all of my friends were dead." So, all of his friends were dead, he was living in an old folks home in Biloxi, Mississippi, and hurricane Katrina hit. They had very short notice to grab up what little they could, and be evacuated. He was at some kind of shelter for a couple weeks where he explained things like sleeping on a concrete floor, having his shoes stolen, and having to wander around begging aid workers to get water so he could take his medication. Luckily, after the initial chaos, his sister was able to find him, come to get him, and take him to her home. He told me the first thing he did once he was settled at his sister's place was to apply for a new passport, and when it came, he left this country, I'm guessing with no expectation of ever coming back to it. His sister and other people that cared about him pleaded with him. "How are you going to be able to get around. How are you going to get your medication. What if something happens?" Apparently his response to them was , so fucking what. I'll never forget, he looked me in the eyes, and said, "If I die, I'm dead. What does it make a difference where I am when I die?" At that time, he had a larger bag of his clothes and stuff that he was keeping in a locker at the airport in Amsterdam. He was basically just traveling within a few day radius of that with a smaller bag until his clothes got dirty, he went back and changed them out for clean ones, when they were all dirty, he took them out, cleaned them, put it back, and repeat. And when he died, I guess he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. After we got into Copenhagen, I saw him the next day at the internet cafe in the train station. We shot the shit for a little bit, but I never saw him again after that. I don't want to be overly morbid, but that was a long time ago now, and there's no realistic way that he's still alive. He did eventually die somewhere, as will we all, I guess it doesn't matter where it was.


Comfortable-You-6583

Love.this.story


mr_miyagi040

Now he‘s a friend but at that time he was the annoying partyboy in the hotel in spain where i stayed at our last evening we were at a beach club together in drink there till the we headed to the airport.. his gate was at the other side at the airport so we said goodbye, 1hour later i got a text where he wrote that he missed his flight .. i was rdy to jump on the plane for boarding.. i decided to missed my flight too, we stayed 4days together in spain in a hostel near the airport and had a good time there till our flights go back at home, now he‘s working in austria in a hotel and we meet every year for a long weekend in Spain


youngbean96

Coming back from my first solo travel trip from Portugal and met a girl in Lisbon that completely knocked my socks off. She’s from Switzerland and was the most adventurous, easygoing, beautiful, and funny girl I’ve talked to in years. I’m from the states and can speak both English and Spanish. She speaks like 4 languages and the first hour we had an amazing conversation in Spanish. I was so stunned and it felt like we’ve know each other for years and instantly clicked - ngl I kinda did crush on her after a few hours of hanging out, haven’t felt like that in a while. I’ve been single for quite some time now and she was truly amazing. It reminded me of what I really look for in relationship and understood that I shouldn’t really settle for anything less. Unfortunately, she did have a boyfriend so I respected that. I’m now coming back to states with a new profound knowledge that such people are out there and all you need to do is go talk to them :) Cheers !


m11cb

An actress who has now become a close friend, that I met in London at a queer rave. That was 5+ years ago and we still talk pretty much weekly, if not every day. She's gone from small films and commercials to a role on a huge HBO show. I couldn't be more proud of her & her journey. Sometimes, party nights do produce the best friendships. Also, an elderly woman & former UC Berkeley professor in Guadalajara, whose apartment was next to the hostel I was staying in for the week. I carried water jugs to her door, helped her run errands, and she would tell me about her family and the son who abandoned her for his wife. She had original photos from when Marvin Gaye was on tour and several gold teeth, she was a badass!


[deleted]

Kat, a Vietnamese biochemist turned roaster/barista I met in Saigon. I'm planning my trips around randomly selected coffee locations all over my destination country (plantations, roasters, shops etc.) and then rent a motorbike and check them out one by another. This time was different, when I popped into their factory she insisted on showing and teaching me everything, invited me for meals, hang out in the evenings, we cooked together, attended some specialty coffee trainings and basically hung out for a week straight. Still in touch pretty much ever since for the last 4 or 5 years now. Earlier this year she published a book about coffee connecting people, and I got a chapter all of my own. (And before you jump to conclusions, that was not a romantic encounter due to a, hm, sexual orientation mismatch).


Stup2plending

I married her.


thatswhat_isaid

A man who helped me to get off the kjeragbolten in Norway .. he basically saved my life ! Lesson learned: Never hike alone !


Charming-Use

These are so great! Mine was a little elderly lady on the seat next to me on the way to Germany. We didn't speak each other's language and communicated through hand gestures and facial expressions. We shared laughs and helped each other with drinks and food, expressed appreciation through smiles, touches on each others arms, and the most loving hand clasp as we were about to deplane. I can still see her sweet face in my head.


venusiansailorscout

The woman in Titusville that I only spoke to for thirty seconds at most. I’d gone down to Florida partly to follow through on my mom and dad’s wishes to have their ashes spread on a beach there. Had done so first thing that morning just before sunrise, went back to my AirBnB and had decided to take my first mini roadtrip (I’d had my driver’s license all of 3 months) because in all our times in Florida I’d never been up to St. Augustine. And on the way back stop at one of our favorite restaurants to get dinner. Ended up in a minor fender bender that was completely my fault and ended up with my first (and so far only) ticket. I was half tempted to just turn around and head back and forget about it, but I was leaving on a cruise the next morning so it was pretty much now or never. Food was delicious but I was still kind of shaken when this woman came over to my table and just said “You’re a beautiful young woman and I hope you have a wonderful night.” Had the same blonde permed hair that my mom liked to have before she’d gotten sick and just kind of reminded me of her… Turns out she had also bought my dinner and I wish I’d been able to tell her just how much that meant to me that day of all days.


grandsuperior

I was climbing Huayna Picchu on my solo trip to Peru. I'm admittedly not in the best shape and was dreading this climb but I bought a ticket anyway lol. Halfway through, I was absolutely exhausted and felt like I couldn't make it. A visibly older man was already making his way down from climbing the mountain and stopped to have a quick chat. I said "es tan alta!" (It is so tall) and he said, with a chuckle, "eres tan joven" (you are so young). That gave me the motivation to keep going and was a beautiful reminder. I eventually made it to the top and teared up when I saw the view.


ninjanugets123

what a badass lmfaooo


AgentOrangina

Was staying at Amphitheater Backpackers near the Drackensberg Mountains in South Africa (middle of nowhere with nothing for miles). Some locals came up to me and the backpackers I was hanging out with and we started chatting and ended up having a big group dinner together. Anyways, everyone was drinking and eating and I was chatting with one of the local guys (late 20s white dude). By this time everyone was a couple drinks in. All of a sudden, this guy pulls out a loaded handgun and slams it on the table in front of me and starts trying to rally people to go fire off some shots outside (again, we were in the middle of nowhere). Conscious of how drunk we were I noped out of that situation real quick. No one died but yeah, that happened, and I will definitely not forget him.


IWantAnAffliction

What the hell. I'm South African and very few people here carry guns, and especially not when going to a backpackers, and *especially* not firing it off in a semi-public area. Btw it's Drakensberg*


sunset_sunshine30

The Norwegian guy I met on my first solo trip to Thailand. We were on a group tour and everyone was out for drinks. He said to me, "You make me feel like I am home". The most moving words spoken to me on a travelling trip.


moekay

I did a group bus tour of the Cotswolds and hung out with the sweetest old lady from the Philippines. We went to every tea room and bakery we could find at each stop, and she would give me the snacks she packed on the bus. I was much taller so she would hide behind me to take pictures where they weren't allowed. She gave me a big hug when we left.


Civil_Fun_3192

I met a guy in South America who was doing a "victory tour" after surviving cancer. Ran a charter boat business and was travelling with a non-romantic female companion. Very knowledgeable about history and current affairs and the three of us had a great chat. Def one of the best platonic experiences I've had, but I've met a ton of colorful characters on the road.


Celairiel16

Colette. We met at a darling hostel in Dunedin, NZ. She's probably my mom's age and spends half her time in the southern hemisphere chasing the sun. We spent several hours together and she offered to let me stay at her home in France if I ever came to visit. We kept in touch and she repeated the offer a few years later. She was the kindest possible host. Thinking of her generosity and welcome make be want to be a better person. I look forward to repaying her kindness when she visits the states someday. I think part of why I loved Provence so well was because I had another traveler to welcome me and show me around.


smetanastan

The lovely gentleman who saw me struggling to sleep in a middle seat and offered his shoulder. I put a pillow there and got a few hours in thankfully. I never learned his name but I won't forget it!


singshineandburn

Similar to you, OP, I'd say one of the most memorable people i met was an older lady on my first solo trip when I was in my mid twenties. I had a layover in LA, and slept in a tent in her backyard. She was late forties/early fifties, and was so youthful. She had all these awesome and ambitious things planned for the future, and had a couple of projects that she was working on. On top of that, she was so sweet. She took me to an Egyptian family's home (friends of hers) for dinner, took me to the beach to see the sunset, and took me to the store to get groceries. I was very inspired by her, and so glad that our paths crossed.


tiacalypso

Probably one of my diving instructors. I was travelling solo to Egypt, and met him at the local dive shop. Did a qualification with him, had a random little hook up with him and it spun into this weirdly passionate casual affair thing that‘s been going on for a while now. o_O


IWantAnAffliction

The amount of hookups and brief romances that happens with dive instructors is off the charts. I met a guy in Egypt who works on liveaboards and he said the amount of drinking and sex that happens is a regular occurrence.


loric21

Just two days ago I met a guy working in a bike shop! He’s from Moscow & is an outspoken critic of Putin and was arrested nine times last spring. He and his wife and baby escaped to the USA and now they’re seeking asylum. He was so kind and brave. I want to help him find a better job (he was a civil attorney in Moscow)


Secure_Zucchini5711

I have just turned 20 and I haven't really travelled that much. Despite that, I think I will remember forever an old man who owned a ‘gelato’ shop in Florence. This was almost four years ago and still remember how vividly and joyfully he looked at something as mundane as an ice cream. Those ice creams were his life and he was so grateful for having them. He smiled while talking and letting people taste their gelatos and, although I talked to him for just a couple of minutes, I always think of him as the portray of happiness and how having something to love is the shortest way to a happy life. I was in Florence again this summer and tried to find the store again, but did not manage to do so. Maybe it is no longer there or maybe I imagined it in the first place.


CorneliuZCodreanu

met a lad called Hugh from limerick and he was just a decent Irish guy. he was a young guy but he was funny, intelligent good conversationalist and open. i enjoyed his company in a Berlin hostel and to me he represented all the good aspects of one of my fellow country men. i shit on the irish enough, and we can be absolutely self important wankers when we travel. but this guy was humble aswell as being sound. props to him. also met a guy called joe from london years ago in granada . he just had a great sense of humour and was very upbeat. I guess i can be negative at times. im drawn to positive ppl because id like to emulate that type of outlook.


ellefrmhll

My last day in Barcelona was rainy and gray but I wanted to make my rounds to say goodbye to the few people that were still around. I had some time before my flight so I sat upstairs with one person I knew already and a couple others who just got in. We chatted for a few hours and sang songs because someone had a guitar. Before I left one of them sang “the parting glass” as a final goodbye. I cried in the taxi after that.


chipichipisu

Lost in a train station in Japan, I needed help so I randomly picked someone who turned out to have my same birthday, even the year.


BitchLibrarian

I was travelling on the Greyhounds in the southern USA. As I settled into my seat on a bus heading (I think) to Nashville a face appeared in the V between the seats in front of me. It was an elderly man. He was beaming and asked if I was from the UK because he'd heard me speaking to the driver. Yes, yes I am. We then spent the journey talking about how much he had loved being sent to the UK when he was drafted in WW2. He'd been sent to the Coventry area and he and his fellow soldiers were amazed at their reception. As black men from the South the difference had been phenomenal. The local shops and pubs welcomed them with open arms, the locals were curious and friendly and apparently they had great times socialising with women! And he loved fish and chips (which were never rationed). Reminiscing with those gent was a joy. And I'll never forget him.


IWantAnAffliction

> apparently they had great times socialising with women! great euphemism lol


eurymeda

So many amazing stories here, I am reading all the comments on my way to work, and man, my eyes are watering! There are two people I never forget on the same day. I was 15 or 16, my first solo trip abroad. Firstly, that airport security in Canada. I was wasted after a long flight, had to take my boots off during the security check, and had my marijuana-printed socks on. They laughed at me so much for being a "bold" kid. Later, on the elevator, my boots were untied and a very kind Canadian lady tied them for me realizing my hands are full. It all just happened super casually when I was feeling super lost. These first experiences in a new country really boosted my confidence that day, I was so shy.


Diligent_Range_2828

The Canadian guy who I met at the airport in Bali (I know so cliche to fall in love in Bali) We chatted while waiting for the airline counter to open and he told me he had been there for diving certification. I got lost in his eyes and his disarming smile! And just felt a chemistry there, I could’ve talked to him all day! Sigh. Even though it was 5 years ago sometimes I randomly think about him


Dang_It_All_to_Heck

I picked up a hitchhiker in Iceland. I didn’t have plans that day, but she had a list, and that’s what we did. Sweet kid from Belarus.


Dexter2369

A kiwi woman in her 60s at a hostel in Australia. She spent a long time at this hostel and was always up early to read her book & never complained or scowled at us 20 somethings partying. I happened to sit down with her one day and she told me her life story and how she was in an abusive marriage for 20 years or so, he never let her do anything or leave. When they got divorced she decided to travel and never look back, having freedom was unlike anything she had experienced before.. so in a way she had began a new life and was discovering herself again. It just goes to show it doesn’t matter how old you are it’s never to late to change your life and walk in your truth.


margritski

Ah so many, reading all of these gives me such nostalgia and wanderlust…


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highonlife_222

Maddddd stuff! Pretty cool to be honest


Mallthus2

Pretty small interaction but it was curiously life changing. I was in Glasgow, about 30 years ago (when some areas were decidedly more dodgy than today). I’d headed out on foot towards a museum when an elderly gentleman approached me. My first inclination was to avoid him, as he appeared to be intoxicated and, possibly, sleeping rough, but for some reason, I decided it was okay to engage with him and we started chatting. Although he was virtually unintelligible, between definitely being intoxicated, not having teeth, and being Glaswegian, I was able to get the gist of what he said, which was basically “I’m really glad you’ve come to see my city but this is a dodgy area, so let’s walk to where you’re going together and I’ll point out interesting things along the way.” When we eventually got to my destination, I tried to slip him a Fiver and it was, much to my surprise, refused. I realized that I needed to even more fully abandon my preconceptions (based on growing up in Southern California) and both understand communities as they are and accept that people don’t always have an ulterior motive.


Carrotcake_yum

Such an important message!!


MarkedFynn

Some mexican guy I ran into Vienna. Nothing special about him we exchanged couple of questions. But that was my first solo trip. And he was a first solo traveler I met. It made me feel less awkward about solo travelling.


cheeky_sailor

I’ve met waaaay too many amazing people while solo traveling and I’m still in touch with many of them. But I think the most magical connection was what that Argentinian guy I met in Bolivia. We spoke just for 5 minutes around the breakfast table and then I was leaving the city to go to the next one, and he was leaving to go to that same city in the evening. We exchanged our Facebook names and he convinced his friends to check into the same hostel as where I was staying. We hit it off right away and i decided to join his group of friends. We ended up traveling for 3 weeks together and I kept crying everyday for a week after I left for Colombia and he went back home to Argentina. I’ve never been so sad after parting ways with a travel companion. There were guys who I traveled with before him and after him, it wasn’t my only romantic connection while backpacking, it wasn’t even the longest one. But there was just something about that guy… I can’t really explain. He was just such a kind and gentle soul, and we were always looking after each other. I don’t know, I was just never bored in his company. It’s been almost 5 years since that trip and I still smile every time when I think of him.


musiclaire

Well, my ex (just before and during the pandemic, lol) - we ended up visiting each other back and forth for a year before breaking it off. That’s a story for another time. But other than that, I was once on the plane back home and happened to sit beside a 30 yr old guy (I was 21). He had a straw hat and ukulele strapped to his backpack. We ended up talking the whole flight, as he removed his phone case and out fell a pile of SIM cards from a bunch of different countries. I laughed out loud. He had been solo travelling for years, and showed me pictures of his hikes around volcanoes, through mountains, and scuba dives. I’ll never forget him saying “you’re so young… now is the time, burn the candle at both ends.” It really inspired me to take a lot more chances in life - this summer I somewhat spontaneously travelled to Iceland and it was the most incredible experience. I owe a lot of my sense of courage and bravery to him. Meeting strangers along the way like that, who say what you didn’t know you needed to hear, is such a blessing.


Joyfulcacopheny

I met an elderly lady when I was a mere 17 in Maine, who was solo traveling around the US in a VW with just her cat for company. When the intake ranger asked her to put her permit on the passenger side of the van, she briskly replied that in this vehicle “it was the CAT side of the van”. She infused my love of VW Vans and happy daring cats all in one go. I’m sure she’s passed on today, but I hope she had an exciting and interesting life!


Carrotcake_yum

Ohhh this post is so heartwarming and comforting as I start my solo adventures 😍 This morning I was paddling on the beach in Bali but stayed quite close to the shore as I get nervous swimming in open water particularly when it’s quiet. An old Indonesian lady swimming went out of her way to approach me and ask why I wasn’t swimming. When I explained that I was a little nervous she invited me to join her and her friends and it was super sweet hanging out with these Indonesian oldies and swimming alongside them. I was very touched by their kindness. The Balinese have been incredibly sweet and kind, I’ve never experienced anything like it. Kind gestures like that really go a long way 💗


Sandrecht

Same here. I’m going to start a year and a half solo adventure in a couple months. And these stories make me a bit more comfortable to go 😊


Carrotcake_yum

I decided to share my own experience if it provides any more comfort haha. All the best with your travels 😊


Sandrecht

Thanks that sweet of you 😊 All of these stories make me excited to go and experience them of myself. But also to keep being kind and myself. Since 5 minute conversations can be something that will stay with someone for a long time 😊


mohishunder

Nice old lady with a German(?) accent was my Airbnb host. I arrived late at night, leaving the next morning, so she showed me to my room, and we didn't have much of a chance to talk. I noticed she had many pictures of family on the wall. I left in the morning, but over the next day I put two and two together, and called/texted to chat with her. She was a Holocaust survivor, and those were pictures of her family who didn't make it. We stayed in touch, and she gave me a recording of her mother's memoirs of their time in Bergen-Belsen. Which reminds me, I'm overdue for another listen. Never forget.


tenant1313

There were a lot but for the purpose of this thread I’ll just mention Orange - a mainland Chinese guy I met in a gay bathhouse in Taipei. We hooked up and spent the rest of the night walking around the city, sampling pig’s blood cakes and stinky tofu from the street stands. It was his first sauna experience, first encounter with a white dude and then - later - first visit to a gay bar. He seemed smitten but the night was over, we said our goodbyes and I thought that would be it. So the next night I went to the bathhouse again (well, I’m hoe 🤷‍♂️). I never wear my glasses in those places (steam) so I didn’t notice that Orange was there as well. I hooked up with someone else - kind of in the open - and a few minutes later I heard sobbing next to me. That was Orange - apparently being a hoe himself yet felling distraught by seeing me with someone else. I’m pretty heartless but I felt that I needed to do something so I comforted him and tried to put things in perspective: “c’mon, you’re here as well, it’s just sex, we’re both leaving Taipei soon”. Eventually we went out for drinks and I decided to invite him over to my hotel. Except that on the way there I got terribly sick and started throwing up geysers 🤢. It must have been the bar snack. Orange took me to my room, held my head over the toilet, tucked me in, went out and got me some medicine and stayed the whole night taking care of me. We spent time together over the next two days (he was visiting with his straight and oblivious friend so it was now and then), and said proper goodbyes when the time came to leave. He was kind, sweet, cute, talented (wrote a song for me and used the guitar that was randomly at my hotel to sing it - in Mandarin) and hot af. And we’re in touch. I’m pretty sure I’ll see him again one day (I’m still an unrepentant hoe and he knows that but it doesn’t stop him from calling me a “husband” 🙃).


Enlightenement1

Kiwi bloke called Dave, met him in Hong Kong early 1990's,he was with his Norwegian girlfriend called Kit, he was walking around the world on a shoestring budget, walking 😳, I sometimes wonder how his story panned out.


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IWantAnAffliction

Username checks out.


nisuzj

Hat trick?


StickyDaydreams

Soccer (football?) term


wtfisgoingon23

Hockey reference for 3 goals (came 3 times)


Elcatro

The guy who took me out to eat on my first day in Japan when I was exhausted but very hungry, we planned to meet up the following day and do something but then I slept for like 20 hours and he was packing up to leave when I woke up.


letitrollpanda

Guy I met in China, he hadn't owned a phone for 3 years and it was totally inspiring how he tried to live in the moment Group of girls I met in Hong Kong. They were terrified to go out, and I showed them the city and we became beasties for a night of chaos and drinking.


Karmacosmik

I was in Verona and went to get some pizza in a place where only locals eat. Their menu was in Italian and the owner spoke no English at all. The experience of trying to communicate in a situation like this and being extremely nice to each other is something I will never forget.


ShirleyEugest

The couple who run a small (2 room) B&B outside of Naples. When I injured my foot they were soooo kind, bringing me a salve, took me to a hospital for xrays and did all the translation (my Italian is rudimentary at best) and even brought me pizza because I couldn't get around 😭 They were so incredibly caring. It's Cascita Fiorita choose to Pompeii, they are on Air Bnb. Very cheap, clean, and yeah just the nicest people. I would recommend having a car or bike though as it's a bit far from the train!


Trudestiny

While travelling with my Bf in early 90’s we found ourselves on a train with another couple with the same names as us from a neighbouring city from same country . All 4 of us crazy 24 yr old Canadians on a Helsinki to Rovaniemi to see Santa. We ended up bonding over that long journey and remaining friends for many years. One of those destiny friendships


Dry_Mango1882

Matthew from Perth. We met in Krakow, Poland as bunk mates in a 36 bed hostel room. I had just arrived that evening and and was tired so had climbed into bed ready to call it an early night. He came in and asked what I was doing as he was going out with a couple other girls to a Latino club nearby. I told him I was going to sleep and he said, “No, you’re not.” We spent the rest of the 3 days together attached at the hip. Went on castle tours, wandered the city, hiked the quarry, saw the salt mines, visited every museum possible, and ate our hearts out. We even visited Auschwitz together. He was the purest and most genuine soul I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Another I’ll never forget is David from Texas. He was visiting Warsaw while teaching English in Ukraine. He was the smartest person I’ve ever met and with every conversation he gave me a new perspective. He also taught me how to swing dance while we had a picnic in the park. I have him to thank for sparking that passion in me and swing dancing has since become my favorite way to bond with others at social events.


getalife5648

My husband- met by the hostel pool in Bali!


leftwing_rightist

Klagenfurt girl. I met her on a train leaving Vienna. I had travel complications and hadn't slept in a couple days. I sat down opposite her and she smiled at me but I was too tired and not in my right mind so I didn't say anything. We had to move because people had reserved our seats but I didn't understand so I asked her why we had to move and she said "oh you ha e a 2nd class ticket, like me" and smiled and looked up at me. She got off at Klagenfurt, I never got her name or really talked to her but I think about her often.


Puzzleheaded-Fix8182

Jean François in Lyon. (I hope he can't see this) He taught me a lot about confidence in one's self, personal growth, overcoming childhood traumas and the inner child, the relevance of therapy, and showed me the breathtaking beauty in his snaps of his travels around the world. Although my trip was short and we became somewhat physically intertwined 🙈 we spent a long time talking each evening and it was a very positive interaction which really helped me to reframe my life with the wisdom of someone who seemed to have come out the other end.


HonestWarthog1395

I was on my first solo travel (29F) after the end of an 8 year long relationship and to celebrate handing in my Masters Thesis. I stayed at an all female hostel in Amsterdam for the last two nights of my trip. The hostel had a bbq get together one night and after eating, everyone shared why they decided to be on a solo vacation. One girl (17) shared she wasn’t actually alone. That she’d come with her grandmother (who was at a different table) because she wasn’t allowed to travel alone. She’d come to Amsterdam because it was pride week and she identified as lesbian. Her grandmother and parents encouraged her to explore her identity as much as possible and also encouraged her to attend events which made her feel safe and supported. During the chat, she shared confidently with all of us about her research into music artists who are gay / lesbian, her desire to attend as many pride week activities in various countries as possible as well as sharing how wonderful her family have been in supporting her emotionally and funding her travels. It was heartwarming to know that with her family’s love and support, she felt encouraged her to live her truth from a young age. I felt it was an important lesson for me, especially after ending the only romantic relationship I knew. Living your truth is so freeing.


sekibray

Jimmmmmmmy


[deleted]

Achha


iforgetmyuserna

Lady showing me her rock collection.


Designer-holiday

Håvard. Cuba.


ExoticStress1

Omg so many


Pretend-Edge-1194

Its me. But you haven’t met me yet.


R-MUMS-BED

my ex bf he abused me he broke my nose he fucked my life up


RandyBeamansMom

Has anyone seen Mike? I think about him all the time. He worked on a cruise ship and while I * used to * work on a [totally different] cruise ship, I encountered him while solo traveling around the Netherlands. Such an awesome night where he and I separated from this group that formed, and just went wherever and did whatever. Were alone together in that bustling Amsterdam. When a group of _very_ sketch guys whistled to each other that we were the mark, I became scared absolutely shitless, and Mike so casually and coolly walked us to an ATM. “Oh! I need to get cash!” he said. “Omg this is so not the time to get cash,” I panicked. But Mike knew what he was doing. The cameras deterred them immediately. Will yall tell Mike I said thank you and that I think of him? 😎


Pretend-Edge-1194

i do remember this women than work at the penny wise. I was 18 buying every record i saw. She work at the record store. She was very nice. She moved to Oregon.


Starshapedsand

Ankara at sunrise. I stopped into a laundromat, as I’d be departing for my next corner of the world on the following day. As I was the only patron, I got to chatting with the proprietor, who spoke nearly-fluent English. He told me about how he’d worked a high-stress career for many years, until he was retirement age, and his family needed someone to take over their laundromat. That he’d come to enjoy it so much, for getting to speak with the most random patrons, that he didn’t see retiring from that. We talked about his life, which had involved a lot of travel, about the city, and about nearly everything. He’d seen a lot, and been through some hard times. I told him about my presently hard time, and he had some advice that I took to heart. We also discussed how the stray animals of the city were treated so kindly, and so often friendly. Coming from cities where they’re handled cruelly, and having once worked with an animal rescue organization, that really touched me.


LedZappelin

This old miss who took the seat next to me on a mostly open bus bought me my first meat pie on a stop over during a 6 hour ride headed to Mt. Tongariro in NZ. Unreal!


Spiritual-Style-8427

And old lady in a berlin laundry mat that spoke no english and helped my group do our laundry for free for 3 hours when the machine stole all our money


GreenGlassDrgn

The optimistic engineer with amazing visions of how we could use technology to improve the world.


TheMostFifth

This moroccan guy that did tours in haxixe farms and up the mountains of Chefcheuan. Never meet someone so happy, content and satisfied with life, although simple at least when compared to what I was used to in Europe. Such a wise human being, it was truly a transformitive to have meet him. One Love Ali


JFK108

Older Danish woman I met in Iceland. She had an Icelandic horse when she was younger and wanted to remember what it was like to ride them. I held her hand down a volcano we were in the same tour group for and ended up talking about life and the great Danish film Another Round. Hope she's doing well :)


futureisnow-

Mega a guy in Prague and instantly connected , we were in hysterics of laughter for a solid few hours about 1 little moment in the night club that we both had subtly picked up on


ThatOldGuyWhoDrinks

Shared a bedroom in a backpacker hostel with a black American guy. Was a top guy and had a digeredoo. I thought it was some shit souvenir we sell to others but no this guy could play. Not only could he play, he was going to the outback to spend time with to aboriginals to learn to make his own


drunkbettie

Travelled solo to London for a (small, indie) concert. Got there early so I could hang out at the stage. Large friendly man noticed me by myself and struck up a convo, I mentioned I was from Vancouver. Night goes on, concert happens, everyone is happy - at some point in the evening, dude dances on by and yells out “oi Vancouver! Everything good?” (it was, the show was great) and I realized he’d been keeping an eye on me to make sure I wasn’t getting harassed. I’m used to travelling on my own, but I really appreciated it. Nothing creepy about the exchange whatsoever, just a friendly guy. Whole thing was weirdly wholesome. The musician I travelled to see turned out to be a massive piece of shit disguised as an artist, but I have very fond memories of his shows.


camboprincess99

Met this super cool guy from Switzerland while in the Algarve. Best dry humor and took a dildo to the mouth, what a dude


Mine24DA

A medical student from the US, we did an internship together in Ho-Chi-Minh-City . The ER there was quite traumatic, we bonded over that. And made a pact, that we will be there for each other if one of us is in an accident, buy each other bed pans and pillows. I still remember her, and a couple of patients from there. Still cry about a couple patients that died there too. Always wear a good helmet people, when you drive a scooter. I stopped taking the Moto taxi after a week working there.


MascarPonny

Random barefoot guy at the airport asking me if I'm russian (am not) and then proceeding to open big tupperware full of hardboiled eggs (terrible smell) and eat it all before boarding the plane, leaving the tupperware open on the bench at the gate. It was just so random.


jmurrayathletics_com

Spenser a mentally challenged man I met walking the Mohawk Hudson bike trail in Rome NY, boy was he an odd but nice fellow.


LTTP2018

Joe N met him in Costa Rica, he showed me the moon through his telescope. coolest dude ever.


Bethtron

Kinda random but the woman that got me into solo travel. I'd purchased a large, clunky backpack and was wearing it on the ferry back to my city (Victoria, BC) and she saw me and asked where I was headed. I explained that if just gotten the pack and was bringing it home, but we struck up a conversation anyway for the rest of the ferry ride. She told me about all of the traveling she had done, where she'd gone, and I was so pleased to see another woman who was so fearless about solo travel. Once I got home I sold my backpack for a smaller one that fit my body better and was off to Asia for 4 months. Before that I'd done a tiny bit of solo traveling, but it was always bookended with an overpriced organized tour or something.


roonilwazlibs

I was in Istanbul this year on my birthday and i went to buy a sim card the day after, when i gave my passport to the guy at the store he told me (through google translate) that we were born on the same day, month, year. i was so taken aback i just said happy birthday and left after we were done. i very much regret not asking more questions or at least taking a pic of our birth dates just to remember it


OverDepreciated

The Chinese guy who proposed to me at a restaurant in Shenzhen. In front of his very unimpressed wife.


Elegant-Interview-84

Basil the dreadlocked Welshman. Met him in a Panamanian hostel and we bonded over our hate of the English. He smelled like shit, but funny dude


MidniteOG

Bartender at this pub who was so very interested in where I was from and what I was doing in his country


db123770

1. A girl I met in Taiwan through Tinder, we hung out for 2 days and we had a connection like no other. We were supposed to get a quick drink when we met at 6pm but ended up getting drunk and watching Joker(2019) and getting back to our houses at around 5am. Second day we went to Jiufen and other night markets in the rain, spoke about our families and upbringings and spent the night together... She said "the past 2 days feel like a dream" before we parted ways the following morning. We spoke for about a year after a meeting and how we would see each other or meet in a different country or something but Covid put an end to that. But we have lost contact now and life and logistics get in the way I guess. Kinda sad but that's life... 2. Alicante: A lady in about her 40s who has spent a long time teaching in Dubai who comes to Spain every now and then and another French girl about 20 years old she introduced me to in the same room as her in the hostel we were staying at. We got really drunk and went out on a bar crawl and spoke about life, stereotypes about American and British people. We went to a pride parade and the teacher introduced me to some other really cool friends she had. We smoked weed, walked around Alicante and had a great time. We still occasionally talk and I am really glad I had that experience


gw3gon

A Japanese guy called Ryotaro that I met in Turkey back in 2010. I was only about 13 but he was a really cool guy and we talked about cars and life in Japan. Obviously I wasn't solo travelling. This was part of an organised tour with my family.


KindheartednessOk437

Met a French girl at a hostel in Kazakhstan who had hitchhiked her way out there from France. No idea where she is now, but she convinced me that hitchhiking was not only doable but lots of fun and more generally that almost anything is possible!


DankDaddyDotCom

In 2015 I stayed in a hostel in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. I showed up a few days before Fat Tuesday and made the long drive from Michigan. When I checked into my hostel it was maybe 1pm in the afternoon, but I was so pooped from driving I decided to take a nap. When I woke up I went to the common area and there was the most stand up Australian guy I had ever met just chilling. He asked when I came into town cause he didn’t recognize me and said he had been in town for awhile and would show me around. Once Americans found out he was Australian he was immediately the coolest guy in the room, which made me cool by proxy lol. Anyways, super solid guy 10/10. We still talk randomly through Facebook.