For most people, the traveler lifestyle is a social one. From quick hellos in the hallway to deep share-your-soul conversations that play out over the course of an entire evening, amazing people enter your life, create incredible memories and move on their way, all in just a moment’s time.

With so little time to give, you find yourself forging instant friendships with perfect strangers, quickly embracing each other as equals (regardless of age, nationality, religion or politics) and enjoying a laid-back space where you both can be yourselves, whoever that might be.

Making friends on the road is easy, it’s keeping them that’s hard.

From my previous experience traveling, I’m more than aware of how easy it is to loose touch with the people you meet along the way. All too often, it’s hard to translate the magic vibes of the road into our separate realities and keep our connections intact. Not to mention that most times, your new best friends take off for their next destination before you have the chance to exchange emails (a sad and unfulfilling end to many of the awesome friendships I’ve had in the past few weeks).

One thing I’d like to do different with my current travels is to make a better effort at keeping the connection, or at least in letting people know that it truly was a pleasure to meet them.

So before I move on to my next locale and get totally caught up in the subsequent whirlwind of experiences, I’d like to say it was great to meet you Marielle, Helen, Maila, Anna, Jo, Canada Vicky, Ooffii, Sherri, Trevor, Scot, Robby, Maxine, Tilly, Jo (popular name for English girls), Stewart, Dale, Ben, Janessa, Chelsea, Sarah, Kate, Margarita, John and everyone else whose names I can't think of or remember.

To all those who have crossed my path on this amazing adventure -- thank you for being you, for sharing your time and energy, and for making this adventure so much more interesting.

p.s. You can find my email under “Contact” on this website. STAY IN TOUCH!!

May 26, 2006