TALK TO STRANGERS
(posted 4/25/02)

As children, we are taught not to talk to strangers. In today's world, this message is ubiquitous. Wherever we go, overseas or even back on our home turf, the warnings are out. And yet, where would our travels be without our brushes with strangers?

* * *

On a Polish train from Warsaw to Krakow, my cabin mate put his head to the window and bid a last goodbye to his young daughter. The girl was crying, and so was he.

As the train pulled out, I glanced over at him, tears streaming down his face. He smiled, slightly embarrassed by this display. I shrugged it off and asked if he spoke English.

He motioned that he knew very little, pulled a pen and some paper from his bag, and over the miles drew me his life.

His name was Pzemesh. He was separated from his wife and their daughter lived with her. He had moved to Krakow and was looking forward to being with his girlfriend again. He assured me that Monika spoke English well and, offering her telephone number, invited me to join them that night for a drink.

After settling into my room, I called and indeed Monika's English was fluent. They picked me up at my hotel and the three of us made our way through Krakow's bohemian bar scene. My new friends seemed to know everyone and by early morning, we were chatting away in a melange of French, German, Polish, and English.

* * *

We think of those we have met along the way. Locals who have welcomed us into their homes, into their lives--if only for a few fleeting hours. Fellow travelers we have hooked up with for an afternoon or a few days. A seatmate that turns into a business partner.

Where did we share a meal? What made us laugh the most? What secrets did we divulge that we never would have revealed back home? What made us feel so open and receptive?

As strangers, we have permission to be different, to not know everything. We are naive. We are charming. We are forgiven, and embraced.

Our traveling encounters are based on possibilities, not probabilities. We know from the outset that our time together is brief and value the time spent together. Our motives seem purer on the road, friendship for the sake of friendship. We exchange the best of ourselves, our dreams. What gift from within do we leave behind in the souls of those we meet?

* * *

By the time the four of us arrived in Danang, we were exhausted. Vietnam was hard-going and the long journey had taken its toll. We drove around town in search of a place to stay but everything was full. Finally our driver pulled into a small complex of buildings, one in the shape of what appeared to be a giraffe.

We were met at the door by a woman with pale white skin, long black hair and a dark, wispy dress--a deadringer for Morticia Adams. Her name was Hang Nga and she attended to our every need--the perfect host.

On our second night, she invited us into her study. She was an architect and loved to design whimsical, unconventional buildings--hence, the giraffe.

We learned that she was the daughter of Cuiong Chinh, a former president and high-ranking secretary during the Vietnam war. At the height of the war, she dared to marry a South Vietnamese man. Her non-conforming nature caused her father much grief and, over the years, she both defied and revered him. She gave us a tour of her dining room, its walls filled with photographs of her father greeting the likes of Ho Chi Minh and Fidel Castro.

Indeed, this somber woman was strange. But she spoke to us. She shared her feelings and her heart. And, in that moment, we felt connected not only to Hang Nga but to our common humanity--our joy and our pain.

* * *

As travelers, we are blessed with countless opportunities to engage and explore. A single encounter turns into hundreds, and hundreds become thousands. Each is a special gift replete with infinite possibility. Each is a unique path across our vast landscape of discovery.

Talk to strangers.

Steve Zikman is the author of The Power of Travel: A Passport to Adventure, Discovery & Growth and coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Traveler’s Soul. To learn more about Steve’s books, visit his website at: www.GOscape.com Click here to read a sample of The Power of Travel. To correspond with Steve, email him at: soulfultraveler@GOscape.com For information about Steve's speaking programs or to book Steve for your organization's next event, please call Cindy Bertram at 219-322-9186.