3/29/2017 0 Comments A Three-Hour Train Ride I've been asked to write a short story as a part of an assignment. What's interesting about this story is that I had to write it about a complete stranger I saw before but I know nothing about. I was expected to build a character for that person and place him in a plot of my own creation. I chose an Italian guy that was sitting next to me in a train last January and the following is merely a result of a very small true detail mixed with a whole lot of my wild imagination.
"After spending New Years Eve in Rome, I was ending my Euro-trip with a quick visit to Paris before going back home. As I heard a ringing singsong voice with a strong Italian accent screaming “ATTENZIONE..” and calling out for my ride, I ran all the way to platform 9 to catch my train before it leaves. Almost stumbling down on the slippery floor, I managed to make it right on time. I walked through the narrow crowded aisle looking for my seat and I was able to find someone to help me with my luggage. I buried myself in my seat all wrapped up in a large wool scarf. Not so long afterwards, he showed up and sat right next to me. He had a slim build, average height and a fair light skin complexion contrasting with his nut-brown eyes. I could tell he’s a minimalist from his sense of style. He wore a nude plain V-neck sweater that defined his body and a pair of denim jeans darker than the night sky. He took off his checkered fedora hat revealing his well-trimmed head and ran his boney hands over his patchy baby beard. What I found mostly distinctive about him was his husky voice that seemed to be sending positive vibes as he uttered some Italian I couldn’t fully understand over the phone. As he hung up, I saw him stealing a glance at the book I was reading. I sensed hesitation in his body language but eventually he pulled himself together and started talking. I told him I only speak English so he started speaking in a broken accent asking me where I’m from as he was intrigued by my book that had Arabic calligraphy on its cover. As I told him I was an Egyptian touring Europe after finishing a semester abroad in France, I asked him about his destination eager to know what he was up to. A moment of complete silence followed, he seemed absent for a fraction of a second. I saw a sparkle in his eyes hindering the tears that would've come afterwards. I interrupted his troubled thoughts apologizing in case I crossed the line. He told me that I didn’t at all, it was only that he remembered Sophia. Turns out that Sophia was the only girl he truly loved, the reason behind this trip. After breaking up with her he failed to find distraction in his daily routine, he failed to bury himself in the stressful pressures of life. He paused afterwards, wondering if he was boring me with his personal issues, wondering if he was the one crossing the line. He told me that he’d rather not be left alone with his thoughts, it was a long ride. With a slight curve on his face, he told me that I seemed like a good listener, so I listened. Even though Sophia was his soulmate, his other half, she was also everything he’s not. She was a girl that knew exactly what she wanted and even though he was on that list, he only saw his flaws she didn't really care about. He knew it wasn't infatuation, it was way beyond just that. That’s why he wanted what’s best for her and from his point of view, what’s best for her wasn't with him. He was emotionally unstable, he wasn't ready for commitment although settling down has always been a dream for him. He was thirsty for exploration, eager for self discovery. He felt that there was more to figure out in life, he wanted to experience more and more adventures. He always said that he was born human, he was born free. It was unfair to make the poor girl wait for something that’s unknown, something as intangible as his purpose in life when she already knew hers and was ready to get going. Although Sophia had his back and was ready to fight his demons with him, he pushed her away. He found other excuses along the way, pointing out their differences. His lifestyle she couldn’t live with, their different beliefs, the distance between them; literally and figuratively. In all his attempts trying not to hurt her, it was too late. He thought letting her go was a solution that would save them a lot of pain in the future but I told him it only complicated things more. He still can’t get over her and no matter how much he tries, she took a part of him away that he has to learn to live without from now on. I told him it wasn't easy for her as well for sure, maybe worse. He shouldn't have decided that he wasn't enough for her, that was the easy way out. Instead, he could've tried to grow into someone worthy of her love, but he didn’t allow her to have a say in it. He just left. He left with no clear explanation, with many questions left unanswered. I might have sounded harsh, I know. However, I thought to myself that maybe destiny chose me out of everyone else in this world. Maybe he unconsciously talked to me because it was a call for help. He needed a wake up call, so I gave him one. As the blood ran through his veins all the way up to his face, he drowned in regret and second thoughts. Only a few seconds later, we heard the train whistling as it was arriving to Milan where I had to stop to switch trains. He stood up to help me with my luggage and as it was time to say goodbye, I gave him a pat on the shoulder and told him my last words. “She deserves a closure”, I said with a smile on my face. I turned away, made my way out of the train and never saw Matteo again. Or at least that’s what I’d like to call him, we never exchanged names."
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2/27/2017 0 Comments 1Why traveling solo changes your lifeWhether you’re a frequent traveler or not, whether you’ve only been to airports with your parents or if you’ve never crossed the borders, if you haven’t traveled alone then you haven’t traveled before. I hate to be the party pooper here, but no matter how much fun you’ve had on your family vacations or school trips, it’s never like going solo. This my friend, is a life changing experience. Here are 20 reasons why you must try traveling on your own.
1. It makes you more responsible Traveling alone is a huge responsibility. You have a lot of things to deal with, from being punctual in order not to miss your ride, to finding your way to places and dealing with people who speak languages you don’t speak. Not to mention taking safety precautions against pickpockets or sellers that might try to rip you off. This experience will make you more responsible and it will make you self dependent. No one is going to be there to take care of you, no one is going to wake you up for check out and no one will plan for you either. However, after this experience you’ll come to a point where you find that traveling has never been easier. Everything could be done online; hostels, transportation, everything. You can even book tickets for places to visit online and skip the line. 2. You’ll break free from your comfort zone When you’re not used to traveling alone, it will force you out of your comfort zone. You’ll get to experience new things and you’ll get know things you never knew about yourself. It’s basically a great journey of self discovery. Your inner self will surprise you with hidden aspects of your personality you never knew they existed. 3. Perks of not having a company Believe it or not, but when you’re out there on your own you get to do things you would’ve never done if you were with your friends. I’m not only talking about places you want to go to or things you want to do that they don’t. I’m also talking about mingling with strangers in line, or maybe your receptionist or bartender. I’m talking about partying with random people you just met or even hanging out with your roommates in the hostel. When you’re with friends you’re most likely to stick to them, unless you’re friends are spontaneous social butterflies. 4. You’ll meet amazing people Based on the previous point, I assure you you’ll meet amazing people. Whether you end up as good friends and stay in touch or if you never meet again, these strangers will actually make the best out of your trip. They’ll teach you new things, inspire you and bring out the best in you. You might share interests, or you may not. Either ways, you definitely have one thing in common. You’re all having the time of your lives on this adventure. 5. The -random stranger- conversations YES! Those meaningful random conversations with total strangers you only see in movies do exist. Talking with strangers is a really nice thing actually. You get more insight, you get to be exposed to a whole new way of thinking. They can also point out things you never noticed about yourself, they can empower you in a way or another. They can inspire you. They can give you answers you’ve been looking for. In fact, they might turn from strangers to great friends. You might also never see them again, or you might. You never know actually, it’s a small world after all. 6. The cultural exchange I know this one sounds like stating the obvious, but getting to know people from all over the world will definitely add more value to your life. You’ll get to know more about cultures you knew nothing about and you’ll think of going to countries that visiting them has never crossed your mind before. You’ll go back home with a new set of vocabulary in different languages that were somehow part of your short adventure. You’ll accidentally start cursing in Spanish, you’ll try your new Italian pick up lines and you’ll start telling the difference between hispanics. 7. Breaking stereotypes As a part of the cultural exchange, breaking the stereotypes will definitely be a thing you’ll have to stumble upon. It’s going to be a great opportunity for you to change how the world views you. In my case, people now know that I don’t go to school by camel, I don’t live in the desert and Egypt has a lot more than just the Pyramids; with all due respect to my dearest ancestors of course. Not just that, but you’ll change how you think of others too. Like the actual fact that not all Mexicans look the same or that Asians aren't necessarily shy. The stereotype that is so true is that the Spanish are so damn fun and you can’t deny it. 8. You become an expert at problem solving During any trip there’s a good probability you might face some problems. You might miss your train, there could be an accident on the road that might make you late, you might get robbed or your phone’s battery could die when you’re lost. Normally, you’d panic, or at least in the beginning. However, when you’re out there on your own you’ll realize that panicking won’t help and you’ll learn to act quickly. The circumstances will force you to solve your problems while being as calm as you can. What’s the point of panicking when you’re drowning? You just need to figure out a way to keep floating. More or less, it’s the same thing. 9. Planning 101 This experience will definitely help you develop your planning skills. Planning your itinerary, picking the right hostels, booking your transportation tickets, comparing deals and prices, setting a budget and controlling your financials, you name it! This will all transform you into a more organized version of yourself. Basically, this will introduce you to adulthood. 10. You also become more spontaneous The fact that this experience teaches you how to be an adult doesn’t necessarily mean that it will suck the fun out of you. In fact, it will make you more spontaneous. Traveling solo and hanging out with strangers will allow you to embrace your inner free spirit. Believe it or not, sometimes some days end up to be the best days of your life if you didn’t plan them in advance. Sometimes it’s better to go with the flow or see how things would go. 11. New Experiences As you say goodbye to your comfort zone, you’re going to try new things. Maybe things you weren’t comfortable doing before or maybe trying new food or listening to a new genre of music. Maybe traveling solo itself or mingling with strangers is a new thing to you. Whatever it is you’ll experience, enjoy it and embrace it because it’s worth it. 12.You’ll enjoy your “Me Time” If enjoying your own company wasn’t your thing, it’ll no longer be a big deal. You’ll come to realize that you don’t need your friends or any company at all to have fun. You’ll finally have some “me time” and actually enjoy it. It’s going to be a great opportunity to get to know yourself, what you like, what makes you genuinely happy. Of course you all think that these are things you already know, but actually no. There are far more things you don’t know about yourself than you think you do. You’ll find out these mysteries when you unplug yourself, when you disconnect from the fast-paced world. 13. You’ll be more confident Being on your own will definitely boost your self confidence. You’ll no longer think twice, you’ll no longer doubt your abilities. “You can do it” will be your new motto. What’s the worst thing that could possibly happen? Exactly. By the end of this adventure, you’ll be a stronger independent version of yourself. 14. You get to be your own boss Planning your own itinerary is probably one of the best perks of this opportunity. You get to be your own boss. No one nags about going somewhere else, no one whines about not wanting to do whatever you want to do. It’s only one person who has a say in things and it’s you! More freedom and flexibility will allow you to enjoy your trip without any time wasted on indecisive planning. 15. Unleash your inner photographer Although you’ll have a hard time finding someone to take proper photos of you, you still get to unleash the beast inside and develop your photography skills. Whether you’re a professional photographer, you’re using your phone or playing around with your camera till you’re good at it, traveling will provide you with endless sceneries and settings for practicing. You’d better charge your batteries and keep those Instagram likes coming. 16. Boost your creativity level Get ready for endless inspiration! In every street corner you cross, with every stranger you meet, with every memory you make, you’ll find something that inspires you. Exposing yourself to a whole new world will offer you experiences that you can look at like creativity pills for instance. Ideas will keep popping and your imagination will go wild. Hopefully you’d be ready for some hustling in the jungle. 17. You’ll get lost YES! You’ll get lost. You read that correctly! Even though thanks to that trip you’ll master Google Maps and you’ll become a navigating guru; still, getting lost is possible and has it’s privileges. The idea of being lost definitely makes you panic right now, but when you learn to chill and relax you’ll actually love the idea of it. Getting lost will present you the opportunity of discovery. You’ll stumble upon cool places like local diners or vintage stores. You’ll stumble upon street performers that will amaze you or sceneries that will take your breath away. You’ll come across friendly locals that will guide you. Most importantly, you’ll memorize your way back to the hostel and you’ll train your photographic memory. 18. You’ll find new things to love As I previously mentioned a dozen times before, you’ll have new experiences and you’ll try new things. After trying over and over again, you’ll start falling in love with a few of these things. You’ll find happiness somewhere new. You’ll go back home with new habits. Maybe you’ll start enjoying waking up early or maybe going for a walk. Maybe you’ll obsess over a particular culture’s cuisine and learn how to cook a couple of meals. Maybe you’ll find happiness and tranquility in your “Me Time” and start providing some time for yourself in your daily routine afterwards. There are a lot of possibilities depending on one person’s experience from another. 19. You’ll start collecting memories By memories here I’m not only talking about actual moments you saved somewhere in your brain. From now on, memories will start meaning more than just that. You’ll see memories in photos, in the souvenirs you collect, in the metro tickets you still have. You’ll find memories with every new Facebook add, every check-in you made and every confirmation e-mail you’ve received from booking.com. The memories you’ll make when you travel on your own are like no other, because this is the kind of experience that touches you, that adds value to you and most importantly, changes your life in the slightest way possible. 20. You’ll have great stories to tell This is possibly one of the most important reasons of all. Who doesn't like great stories? And most importantly, who doesn't like having great to stories to tell? Well, we all do. Congratulations then, you get to have loads of these. You get to brag in front of your friends about the festivals you’ve been to. You get to tell your grandchildren about the mountains you’ve climbed. But you know what’s really cool? You get to write all about it. What are you waiting for? All what you need is a backpack, a passport and the spirit of a traveler who's ready to explore the world with its opportunities. You'd better start booking! |
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