Thursday, October 2, 2014

Blips on a Radar

One thing that is hard about traveling is meeting new, fascinatingly amazing people. Sounds really difficult, right? But it's not the meeting them that is rough, but the eventual goodbye that is always tiptoeing and sneaking right around the next corner.

It's strange, because it not like meeting new people at your work or your school or local bar. Essentially, everyone in someone's life leaves sooner or later, but it's much, much different while traveling. You meet people already knowing  that they'll be in your life for a blink of the eye. I've met some cool cats at every city and town I've visited so far, yet they feel like blips on a radar, beeping incessantly close like some kind of Aliens film for a while, and suddenly in the next moment, they've moved so far away that they don't even register a single sound. And for the most part, they never will again. Sure, Facebook and social networking helps somewhat fill this void, but it's still tough on the heart to meet great new people, travel and go on crazy miniature adventures with them, and then they (and you) disappear and dip out of your life like the fading bright fireflies cast by a camera flash.

I love meeting new people and hearing new stories and experiences. In fact, I thrive on this. But I hate goodbyes. Absolutely 100% despise them. Who needs them! And this whole adventure is a series of greetings and departings. I ground myself for just long enough to really get to know the people around me and get excited each morning for the adventures that will follow. And then, just like that, I have to leave. Off to the next place, the next country, the next world, to do it over and over and over again. Hello, goodbye on an infinite, stuck, repeat.

An open mic in the middle of nowhere. Was able to attend with some cool people from around the world. Including an extremely good ukulele player named Brook (find her here and give her some love, she's excellent!: http://www.travelinguke.com/)
But, of course, even if I hate it, it can be a good thing as well. With each new friendship - each new person that momentarily comes into my life - I become a different person. I very slowly am becoming a collection of all the people I meet in my life. I'm becoming a kaleidoscope of wondrous people from different cultures, with different beliefs, and different loves, hopes, dreams, and life.

I have a manuscript that I never did anything with from years and year ago and it has one of my favorite lines I've ever written in it. I'm going off my incredibly shotty memory, but it went something like this: "Sometimes it's the people you only meet once in life, that really change your life." Super cheesy, right? Oh well, I still adore it.

And there's something to meeting wonderful people only briefly. It's all circular, right? So, as all these lives are introduced and strengthen mine, it's a good feeling to know that maybe it's the same with them - that my blip on their radar might have just been powerful enough to add something new to their life's kaleidoscope, however small.

I'm currently here:
The sunset at night. After it got dark, some new friends (thanks Bianca and Shari, if you're reading! We didn't get stung!) and I went swimming, to find phosphorus that glows like glitter (well, sort of, you have to really look and splash hard)
Otres Beach in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. About four hours away from Phnom Penh. But I leave the people and the place behind tomorrow as I head back in order to fly to Bangkok.

In one month's time I've met a crazy cast of characters. But, it's time to move on.
Hellos and goodbyes. It's a playlist that I equally hate and cherish.

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