Travel Friends, May 22, 2009

Perhaps one of the greatest things about traveling is meeting people from around the world that you can really connect with. But sadly, at some point, you will each have to go your separate ways. I am always left with this feeling of non-completion (is that a word?) or incompleteness when saying good-bye to new travel friends. I want to complain to the god of friendships and cry out, “Wait…I was just getting to know X, Y, or Z…you can’t take them away now!” But of course that wouldn’t help. This is the travelers’ way. People come and people go and sometimes we are lucky enough to see them again and get to know them over time. But at the moment of parting, we can never really be sure whether we will ever hear from them again, or whether they will hear from us. I have always loved uncertainty in life, but I have never been too comfortable with uncertainty in people.

This post goes out to some of the people that I have met, who I someday hope to meet again.

To Galit Aloni & Debbie Waterman (from a Kibbutz in Israel) whom I traveled with for two weeks in the Philippines. Girls, you'll be happy to know that since I met you, I haven’t sat on a hotel room toilet or walked into a bathroom barefoot even if it is “a private room with private bath”.


Galit Aloni & Debbie Waterman

To Rodina, Irene, and our precious little rescue puppy, Laika (from Port Barton, The Philippines). Thank you for opening up your home to me, showing me Filipino hospitality, and for helping me rescue Laika and agreeing to raise her.


Rodina & Laika


Irene, Me, Laika, Rodina

To Berend Venema (From Holland and also from The Netherlands—yes, it is the same thing. What? No, the Netherlands does not include Sweden…and I speak Dutch not Hollandaise. Hollandaise is what you put on Eggs Benedict and well, the French invented that. Yes, I know…it is difficult to keep it all straight—especially for an American) whom I traveled with on the back of a motorcycle in the Philippines in the rain. Despite everything, watching a rainbow form in the sunset while we swam in the blue green waters of Sabang was awesome.


Berend Venema