A few months ago, I was lucky enough to spend two weeks in Chile for the Snipe World Masters Championship and some tourist time afterward. I made several new friends at the regatta, which was no surprise; Snipe sailors are naturally outgoing, and our communal passion provides endless conversational starting points.
What felt much more unusual were the many illuminating conversations I had with fellow air travelers. So—because we are so desperate for reminders of kindness and shared humanity—here are three examples.
1. Hometown Hero
I guess I didn’t blend in very well with the mostly Chilean crowd on the two-hour flight south to Punta Arenas, because as soon as I settled into my window seat the man who’d moved to let me in asked where I was from. In British-tinged English, he told me he was born and raised in Punta Arenas before sharing a few restaurant recommendations. We even dipped our conversational toes into politics, since the Chilean national elections would take place the next day. (He was heading home to vote, if only to avoid the country’s no-voting fine.)
2. Anonymity of Travel
Sitting in a small gate area that reminded me of the old Providence terminal, a 40-something American asked me to watch his bags while he went to the restroom. I was happy to oblige, as usually I’m the one making that request. When he returned, we got to chatting about hiking in Torres del Paine. Learning I was a sailor, he told me that his former company used to sponsor a solo sailor I follow.
We continued our conversation as we queued to board the plane, said goodbye before climbing the stairs . . . and then discovered we were sitting in the same row. “Because we’ll never see each other again,” he eventually told me with a smile, he confessed that this solo trip was a life reset after leaving a job he hated. But now he was missing his wife and kids, and thinking about trying to get home in time for Christmas.
3. Shared Misery at The Yellow Desk
My final connection home was cancelled due to weather, which turned a quick transit through Brazil into a 27-hour lesson in international patience. Fortunately I was befriended by an American couple on the same itinerary; laughing about our Terminal-like airport wanderings (US passport holders aren’t allowed to enter the country without a visa) and the endless waiting for new tickets at The Yellow Desk made this travel limbo much more pleasant than it would have been solo.
Story Inspirations?
Traveling—at least this particular series of adventures—is a fantastic reminder of our shared humanity. And who knows what fictional characters might someday be inspired by all of these unexpected conversations? If you’ve had a similar moment, please share it in the comments below—because we all could use a little joy right now.
Thanks for being part of this community, and see you next Thursday.