I’ve learned to be open-minded to the experience. Often we close doors because we see little chance of a positive experience happening. But sometimes leaving the door ajar costs us nothing. And if that’s the case then there is no reason to shut it.
When I traveled to London with my family in 2016 I connected with this girl via Tinder or Bumble or the like (I don’t remember exactly which one it was). But we never had the chance to meet each other while I was in the United Kingdom. We continued talking on and off for the last three years and here I am in Queenstown, where she now lives and works.
We got together the other night and it was a very fun time. It is a bit odd when you feel like you know each other and you’ve never met face to face. But we clicked and it was just an awesome feeling to connect with someone on the other side of the planet. Especially when it seemed so unlikely years ago.
But that’s not the end of the story.
In December I was in Hanoi with my brother-in-law and we met this man from Argentina. His name was Santiago and we had a great time together. We still keep in touch.
He gave me his friend’s contact information and told me to reach out when I was in Queenstown. Santiago lived in Queenstown for some time and roomed with this man for several months.
While I was hanging out with my English friend I told her about this. She was shocked to learn that she worked with Santiago’s friend at a nearby hostel. He was the manager there and the two of them were actually quite friendly with one another.
This type of thing happens all the time to me and it’s so fun to experience. When you keep the door open you can really milk life for all it’s worth. Sometimes it just takes a little while to develop. I am so lucky to live in a time period in which technology and transportation help create a smaller world. It’s possible to have friends in so many different countries and it’s not difficult to develop those relationships if you want to.