I’ve owned up to a number of faults on this blog: I can be quite shy, I’m terrified of cockroaches, I over pack, I love maps but I’m horrible with directions, I let a visa come between me and the World Cup.  I’ll stop myself there. Well, here’s another one…I’m terrible with names.  I think I’ve always been that way, but I was reminded of that, yet again, today.  But I’ll get back to that in just a second.

I’ll spare you the details, but this weekend was a travel fail thanks to missed flights, epic standby lists and ultimately weather which kept me at home when I was supposed to be out in the world.  But rather than feel totally defeated, I tried to keep a positive outlook on things and realize that even the attempt to travel, for a traveller, is better than none at all.

After trying to standby on my 8th or 9th flight (I lost count) over 2 days, I finally decided this was not going to be my weekend and I started to gather my bags and make my way home. Just as I was about to leave I looked up and caught a glimpse of something very simple, but an iconic image of life on the road.  It was a sturdy, well loved backpack with four or five hand sewn flags on the side. The flags on this bag were all from Asia which reminded me of my back packing trip there in 2001 – a trip which totally changed my out look on travel from a “vacation” mentality to a “journey” mentality.  Instead of a return flight, I had an onward flight to the next destination…whenever I felt the time was right.  On that trip the “luxury” was not in 5 star hotel rooms or expensive luggage, but in freedom, time and options.

I started to snap a photo of that backpack from where I was sitting, out of site of the actual owner.  But then I heard the little chant in my head “Do things that scare you”. As a relatively shy person, it is not in my nature to walk up to strangers and begin talking, but I figured well…I’ve used travel and this blog to step out of my comfort zone before. Why not again?

The bag owner was a young woman wearing a pair of purple headphones and reading a book, so I don’t think she noticed me as I walked up and tapped her on the shoulder. She was very sweet and gave me  a big smile when I introduced myself and asked if it would be OK to take a couple of photos of her bag to use for my travel blog.  I figured I could use the pictures for stock photos….it wasn’t until I was on my way home that I realized I actually wanted to write about this brief experience.

Of course she said yes then we chatted about where she got the flags, how she also included cheap bracelets from Vietnam to decorate her bag, how we both enjoyed traveling in Asia and where she was off to next (Hawaii).  It was a truly simple interaction, but after a day…or two…of frustrating travel fails, it was nice to (1) confront my shyness head on, (2) meet another traveler even if only for a few minutes and (3) remember that travel can be a part of your daily life even if you haven’t left the airport.

But back to where I started…here’s where my latest confession comes in: even though I asked her name and repeated it, for the life of me I can’t remember what it was.  Ellie? Essie? Lia?…or maybe it was Shaniqua?  Just kidding, I would have remembered if a blonde girl was named Shaniqua! Well, I told her the name of my blog so hopefully her memory is better than mine and she remembers to check it out. I just wanted to let her know that our brief chat reminded me of all the things I love about travel.  Meeting new people, stepping outside my comfort zone, exploring new worlds, reminiscing on past trips, backpacking, the excitement of the next trip. Thank you for that, Ellie, Essie, Lia or Shaniqua!

What little travel moments have you had? Not the one where you climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro or partied all night in Ibiza.  Just something simple that always stuck with you and remind you of a place or person or trip? Do share!