30 Days of Indie Travel: Day 12, Meaningful Connections

Prompt: Travelers meet dozens, if not hundreds, of new people on every trip. They may become friends, enemies, lovers, and resources; they may stay in your life forever or be forgotten the next day. Tell about a time you felt a powerful connection – for however long – to another person while traveling.

Wow. So true. I’ve met so many people; hopefully I get around to telling their stories too (thank you guys for being a friend). But for this prompt, I want to talk about the most significant; a taboo relationship with a traveller much younger than me. We had planned on running away to Spain together for the Fall, getting jobs, and renting an apartment. Last minute she got cold feet and took a flight back to Canada, I have never seen her again.

I want to tell our story, I’ve wanted to for weeks, but every time I think about putting it into words, I feel like it won’t come across anywhere near as exciting and interesting as it felt to me at the time. Maybe I will tell it in pieces, the first an open-ended letter (after discovering “the world needs more love letters” and the style of Kaleigh Somers). This letter is to an ex-lover, and dear friend, my most recent travel romance.

Dear Canadian Girl,

“Sometimes life leads you down one road and you have to nod your head and say Thank You”. Even if things don’t turn out the way you’d hoped. I’m still eternally grateful that we have such wonderful memories, and am thankful that I can still call you a friend.

The day I met you, I was immediately drawn in by your energy and your beautiful smile. You exude a sense-of-adventure and excitement that rubs off on everyone. Your parents got the recipe right (you can tell your Mother I said that). Your compassion, warmth, and silliness make people genuinely enjoy being around you.

I had no idea of knowing that when I signed up for the week-long Canoe Trip in Hungary that I would make such great friends that would impact my life the way they have.

We met on the train with a conversation about travel; the usual small-talk about where you’ve been, where you’re going, and how long you’ve been on the road. We immediately had a simpatico, and I felt like we could talk for hours. We managed to find each other again several times that first day (amongst 50 excited paddlers), including the long walk in the rain where conversation topics changed with the frequency of each rain drop. There was a little flirting, but the fact that you were 10 years my junior kept me at arm’s length.

Over the upcoming days we would seek each other out and talk late into the night around campfires. Smiling, giggling, and generally enjoying each other’s company and the blossoming friendship. You were a little quiet at first, especially with telling stories of your life, but then again, maybe I was just so excited to have an engaged audience I didn’t let you get a word in edge-ways sometimes (sorry for that by the way).

I was completely gutted (jealous/and hurt) when you hooked up with our new friend from France because he reminded you of an ex-boyfriend. I didn’t even realise I liked you that way until you were describing your late-night rendezvous with him in green pastures off the Danube. That’s adventure; adventure I should be having! Adventure with you. Our friendship continued to grow, but never beyond innocent flirting and fun conversations; after all, you were with the other boy, and I was too old/too shy to mention anything.

Fast-forward a week; luckily I get my ticket for Sziget after lots of messing around with the Budapest Post Restante service. I join you and other friends from the Canoe Trip at Sziget Festival. We are drawn together because of the new friendship; I even pitch my tent close to yours. French-boy comes to Sziget the first day, and by now I am just up for a really great festival week with new and old (week old) friends.

At Sziget, we make so many new friends. Not just Facebook friends, but dear friends, who I hope to cross paths with again. I share my tent with strangers (now friends), and one fateful and magical night, you reach out for my hand while listening to Prince (live) and we hook up.

You are an amazing kisser, and even though I am too drunk to enjoy it, I am extremely excited to be with someone whose company I enjoy so much, and who I am so attracted to. For the rest of the festival we are inseparable; and it’s a real shame to have to say goodbye on the Friday because you have a flight out of the country. But after sharing 4 full days together as a couple, and 8 days as friends prior to that, we agree to cross paths again in England in a few weeks.

It’s the longest couple of weeks of my life; so long in-fact that I manage to talk you into meeting me in Split, Croatia in just a week after going our separate ways. I feel incredibly guilty that you changed your travel plans for me, but incredibly lucky that I get to see you again. The travel romance continues, and we enjoy the most amazing time travelling together down the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia, then across to Bari, Italy by Ferry. Again we split up in Bari, but we have the most intense couple of weeks and some truly amazing memories together.

source

I wish I had more photos.

We still meet again in England, and stay with a lovely CouchSurfer we met on the Canoe Trip. When we split ways again on September 15^th, I realise it’s probably the last time I will ever see you. I cried on the train that day, just a little.

I know I bragged to you in the tent at Sziget about how many girlfriends I’ve had. Sometimes I put on a brave face. It’s not lies. But sometimes I am surprised, and don’t realise what I have til it’s gone. Sometimes I say stupid things, and hate that you never forget it.

I know that I don’t know the way to your house, I’ve never met your parents, nor do I know you’re favourite flavoured cupcake, and there’s so much I don’t know about you. But I saw you, I see you. I know who you are, and I like who you want to be. I know the bad parts of your life story, and you mine; and we accept that it’s these things that make us who we are. No regrets. Onwards and upwards.

In Paris, I was depressed for a week (at least), and again when I got to Madrid. Luckily I met some great people who helped me enjoy being single. Since then, we have talked a zillion times over email and Skype, and I am coming around to understanding your point-of-view, and accepting that what we had is magical, but it’s a memory, and might have to stay that way.

The time I had with you was the most intense, the most surprising, and the most wonderful I have had on my trip (ever in fact). There wasn’t a day that went by that I wasn’t grateful that you enjoyed my company as much as I did yours. I still think about (someone like) you from time-to-time, and believe you are truly something special; such a positive influence in my life. Exactly the person I was looking for. Beautiful, friendly, wise-beyond-your-years, a traveller: adventurous, outgoing, and willing to push your boundaries. Creative, caring, kind — I could write dozens more words, but they are just words — you know how I feel, and every new day you are discovering more-and-more who you are. I look forward to our long-distance friendship blossoming even more, and hope that we stay in touch.

I know this letter is rushed, and it barely touches on the amazing time we had together, I hope to go into more detail soon.

Love Always,

xoxo (I even put “hugs” this time).

On another note, I can’t get this song out of my head now:

* flickr header image credit acousticskyy