The People We Meet on the Road
Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.
¡Buenos Días! Guten Tag! Konnichiwa!
Today, I’d like to write about the experiences of meeting people from all over the world and from all walks of life because I believe it’s essential in our understanding of humanity, as well as separating facts from fiction.
So often, a family member or friend will tell us, “I wouldn’t go there,” or “that seems to be a dangerous place with those people,” and it always perplexes me. My response is always to ask them why they believe that.
“Well, haven’t you seen the news lately?”
At which point, there is a long explanation about whatever tragedy is happening in any particular city, country, or border at that moment, or how the people are rioting, protesting, robbing, or killing the visitors in their region. Even family members who were born in Europe will tell me what it’s like there now, even though they haven’t been back in decades.
I don’t blame them.
After all.
They watch the news.
While we genuinely appreciate everyone’s concern for our safety, and it means a lot that people care about our well-being, what they see from the media isn’t always the whole picture. Sometimes it’s not even reality.
In the past decade alone, we have been to numerous countries, including Mexico, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, England, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and many of the Caribbean Islands. We’ve crisscrossed the United States multiple times, as well as visited Hawaii and Alaska.
When I think back to all of the places we’ve been, I can count on one hand the times I’ve felt in danger or uncomfortable1.
This doesn’t mean criminal activity and dangerous circumstances don’t exist; it’s just that these things aren’t running rampant everywhere you go. Yes, you gotta be careful, but don’t be so scared that you miss amazing experiences.
Many of the people I’ve met along the way have been welcoming or friendly. Whether they were Afghan, Hindu, Palestinian, Colombian, Navajo (Diné), Portuguese, Mexican, Dutch, or Parisian, we’ve been treated well.
Here are a couple of examples.
A few years ago, I was walking around our hotel near Mexico when I came across a large group of men who were drinking cervezas and having a cookout. I simply waved and smiled. Within minutes, they motioned me to come over and join them. Only one person spoke English, yet we spent an hour drinking beer, trying to converse about LaLiga and Liga MX futbol. I was welcomed into their community.
A similar thing happened in Sweikhuizen, Netherlands. We would visit Cafe Meels several times a week, and every time, the Dutch noticed my American accent and engaged me in conversation about politics, travel, entertainment, guns, and whatever else came to mind. It was a great time, and even though I spoke horrible Dutch, the people were nice and respectful.
Friendliness has been a common theme on our adventures.
Maybe it’s because we personally respect others and their cultures, but it’s amazing how many beautiful moments we've shared with people unlike us.
I think the reason why many Americans often struggle and are fearful of others is that we’ve all been indoctrinated to believe the worst about those who are different. It doesn’t matter if it’s related to politics, race, gender, sexuality, or religion; we are taught to see the negative biases and then to act upon them with hate or ignorance. So we never get to know the good in the people around us.
While we might look different on the outside, we’re mostly the same on the inside.
We share the same hope for freedom and liberty. We desire to be loved unconditionally and to love others the same. We hope to keep more money and pay less taxes. We want to enjoy life and make great memories. We pray for peace and stand against war. We mistrust the government and those in power.
That’s what I’ve learned in my conversations with people around the world.
One of the best shows ever to highlight these kinds of experiences is the Long Way series with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. While I’ve not done the cool things these blokes have, the friendliness principle remains the same. Another great video series comes from Mike Okay, a YouTube creator who visits countries like Afghanistan and North Korea.
These are wonderful reminders about the beauty of humanity!
Of course, there are exceptions, and we’ve encountered the worst in humanity as well, but a majority of people we’ve met on the road have been fantastic, and we don’t see all the bullshit the media is telling us.
Do me a favor.
Next time you feel fearful of strangers you’ve never met, ask yourself why you feel that way. Are those feelings based on reality or personal experience? Or are they based on fiction or perceived biases? This is important.
Now I encourage you to get out there and meet people from all walks of life.
It will be rewarding to your soul.
These places include Nassau, Barbados, Rome, Paris, and maybe Memphis.
I live in a Northwest suburb of Minneapolis, and have friends that will hardly go to downtown Minneapolis during the day let alone at night. Pre Covid I worked everyday down there and never had any problems. My wife and I also go down there at night for a show or the theater without issues as well. Would I want to be down there when the bars close, probably not, but that's true a lot of places. We also just came back from Cancun and met some wonderful people while there.
One of the best parts of life. Not that I travel as much you guys do, but one of my favorite things is meeting new people at all the shows I go to. Cheers for more great observations from your road!