everything you need to know, you learn in kindergarden

my mom told me that when i was a child we couldn't even get into an elevator without me making friends. and by the time we hit the next floor, i had also felt it necessary to share with my new found mates my entire life story. 

as i stared onto the pool deck of smugglers cove, the hostel that was now my home, i realized how very daunting it is to make friends. traveling alone and being lost in a country was one thing, but remembering how to make a friend, quite another. of all times to be shy, a concept so foreign to me, why did i choose now to allow that quality to shine?  

i slowly stepped into the cool fresh water and apprehensively made my way toward four people at the far end. i figured my odds were better with a group, i was bound to hit it off with someone. i immediately introduced myself to the foursome. there were two english blocks, an english lace, and a canadian gal. both girls traveling alone, not a common thing to hear coming from the states, but seemed quite normal to them. instantly at peace with my decision to seek them out as friends, i remembered how much i had once loved engaging in conversation with people. i had been discouraged for various reasons throughout the later years of my life to practice this friendly nature, this is one specific quality that i had hoped to rejuvenate on my travels. it is something that once i gain back, i will never allow for anyone to discourage again. 

i was staying in a 40 person co-ed dorm, and there was nothing odd about it. the instant comradery amongst all of the travelers was just that, instant. nomads from 18-30 came together sharing the tales of their journey, hearing their crazy experiences often changed you as much as it had changed them. everyone seems to be chasing their own dream. we are all on such different paths, and yet with a similar love for travel and beauty, a common understanding of different cultures, values and customs was laced through us all. searching for the truth that we each saw fit, banded us together, stronger than i could have ever imagined. 

there was this underlying appreciation everyone had for each other, understanding that somehow, regardless how or why we arrived on this island, we were all facing the same world that lied around us. we eagerly wanted to learn about each others stories, knowing that we would only gain from the merit of each experience. 

as i reflected on my current situation, i noticed that the only qualities that mattered, the elements we all embodied that brought us all together, we had all learned when we were five. 


xoxo - ShannonSmile