The kindness of a stranger.

I thought I'd share something I witnessed on the way to work the other morning because it really moved me.

I was on the bus on the way to work when I saw a middle aged man get on the bus. He looked pretty spaced and unsteady on his feet and like he needed a good wash.  A few minutes later I looked across and he was stumbling across the bus towards a girl, probably in her early 20's, who had her back to me.  He sat on the seat next to her and put one arm over her shoulders and the other across her front, in an embrace and laid his head on her shoulder. I realised she was crying.  He continued to hug her for a good few minutes, muttering to her in a gentle voice, "It's alright girl".  At which point I got off the bus.

I actually felt quite choked up. It was such a sweet, child-like thing to do. I'm sure everyone else on the bus would have been thinking should I go over? But everyone else is welded to their seats, worrying about whether she would want them to intrude. Part of it I suppose it is being on a bus, where you have a captive audience  and quite often people aren't talking either.

I personally don't know that I would want a stranger to come and hug me like that and for so long (!) but it was a really touching and 'human' thing to do.  It made me feel ashamed that I would feel that I can't go up to a stranger and offer support.

I've had a few discussions with friends recently about interactions on bus journeys.  I personally don't often start conversations with people on buses and I tend to be quite closed (particularly in the morning), which is really sad. I worry that I'll start a conversation with someone, then feel I have to talk to them every morning and that seems like effort at 7am.  However, when travelling I would be open to speaking to fellow travellers on long distant journeys (as long as I wasn't feeling too nauseous!).

So....what I do take from this? Well, I aim to be more open to meeting and talking to people everyday, however that manifests itself. I guess I should come up with some better openers, rather than, "So, how are you finding the weather?" But that's a start :-)

Inspirational Pole Dancing Routine

I thought I'd post a link to this video, because I think it really shows what pole-dancing is really about: strength, grace, flexibility and creativity.

By the way - you should be 18 to go to this video, only because of the other videos/ads that come up alongside it!

Amazing pole-dance video

Broadened Horizons - the delights of Couchsurfing.

I have been away from home for a little over a year now and in Vancouver 9 months.  Although I love the city and my life here I have begun to feel restless - that I am back in to a mundane routine and I was missing the excitement of moving from place to place.

We originally came away again because we were looking for something. Yes, we wanted to see the world but we also knew that we wanted to experience as much as we could before we settle and, I know it's a cliche but, I think I have been doing some soul searching more recently, trying to figure out what I want from life and what my priorities are.  I haven't quite figured that out yet but I feel I did get a bit closer this weekend.

I have just arrived home from a weekend away in Portland with two other ladies, one who I have known for a few months and I see her most weeks at our art nights - Rachel.  The other I just met on Saturday - Lorena.  We had a great time, I thoroughly enjoyed their company and we spent the whole weekend talking about all kinds of issues, from Monsanta, LSD, ethical farming of marine life, sustainability, the after-life....pretty deep stuff!

Our weekend was also helped along tremendously by our host, Gina. I have to say we were a bit cheeky because we only messaged her on the way to Portland to ask if 3 rather than 2 of us could stay with her (not really acceptable Couch Surfer behaviour) however she took it in her stride and was the most amazing host.  She too is  an incredible person, with lots of interests and lots to share.  She took us all over her city.

And although it was great to visit a new place, and I thought that's what I needed - to get out of Vancouver.  It was spending time with and meeting these great people that made the weekend.  I have come away invigorated and excited about the way my life is going.  And just chatting to each of these individuals, each sharing their perspective, experiences and ideas, it feels like I have broadened my outlook on life and the possibilities. I have confirmed some of my own ideas and questioned others.

And surely that is what travel and life is about; asking questions of yourself, challenging your pre-existing ideas? I think sometimes what happens when you have an established life and routine in one place is that you don't as frequently interact and talk with different people and this is what limits us.  So maybe we're more inclined to accept a path and we stick to it.

I've always had an idea that I should find a career, make some money and settle down and that we were going travelling before we did this.  That this was our 'last chance'.  The biological clock is ticking and all that.  But I'm finding the longer I'm away, the more places I visit and the more people I meet from different backgrounds, the goal posts shift. I see different possibilities for myself and although I have vague idea which direction I want to go in, there are so many possibilities and I'm not so worried about how long it takes me to get to my destination but more about taking the scenic route!

This was one of the realisations I came too this weekend but also that you can have new and exciting experiences where ever you are just by interacting with stimulating and inspiring people that ask meaningful questions.