Talk to strangers! :)

I want to record this.

When I was doing the check-in to Valladolid (Spain), I thought an unpleasant trip was just about to start. I was taking that flight to reach Coimbra, in Portugal. Why did I go for this long trip just to get there? Low-cost advantages (or not!). So, the plan was hitting Valladolid at 8 p.m and wait 7 hours for the train that would take me to my final destination.

My backpack was pretty heavy and as I didn’t want to pay any extra fee for it I just weighted it before the check-in. But I had so many luggages that to make it easier I just glimpsed the guy in front of me in the queue and asked:

“Can you please look after my luggage for a second?”
“Sure, no problem.”.

I can still remember that moment because actually I was already thinking I could just try to start a small talk with him – I was pretty bored and couldn’t deal with the fact I would spend more than 10 hours without talking to someone. :P When I got back to my queuing position I said “Thank you” but I was too worried with my extra two kilos to think about small talks – but I thought that was the moment… I could just have told him that I had extra-weight, that I had to figure out a way not to pay for it (because it was what I was just doing!) and bla bla… and if he would happen to be in the mood to talk too, he would just follow my (not) interesting conversation and keep it going!. :P But I did none of this. I was tooo busy with my luggage.

Afterwards, while I was moving shoes from my backpack to a side bag I could use as hand luggage, this tall blond guy with a huge backpack stops behind me…

“Do you know what the weight-limit is?” – American guy with a f*ckin American accent (Really, I swear! :P)
“15 kilos” – me
“For sure I ain’t gonna make it. Have you been to Valladolid?” – American guy
“No, I’m actually going to Portugal, but I know there’s not much to do around there” - me
“Are you going to Portugal?” – the Belgian guy surprisingly says – “Me too!”
“I just lost my flight to Barcelona and said to the Ryanair guys to put me in a plain to Spain, no way that I’m going to stay in this shitty place.” – American guy

Some minutes later, after talking about the way the three of us were intending to take once we land in Spanish field…

“You’re a couch surfer right?” – Belgian guy
“Yeah,… I’ve been travelling around Europe. Men, it was been the experience of my life… (…) and I’m going to Barcelona to try to get a job there.” – American guy
“Why don’t you try Portugal? It’s much nicer we can tell - ask her… and besides, as I’m renting a car in Valladolid to reach Cabeças de Basto, I might as well have a companion and you can even sleep at my place if you want to. Afterwards, you can take a train to Faro or so…” – Belgian guy
“Ok, it sounds nice.” – American guy

“I’m Peter.” – American dude :P
“I’m Mark.”- Belgian guy
“I’m Ana.”

Well, I would really like to be able to put in words how awesome and interesting were the hours that follow that unexpected meeting... Me and Mark spent all the flight talking… all the time… what a hell of chatting… and I decided to take his lift to Portugal too, in order to avoid waiting 7 hours for the train, and because after two intensive hours talking with him, I knew that I could do it for a lot more!

An hour later, there I was, with a Belgian and an American in a Spanish renting car on our way to the north of Portugal. It was so much fun. I felt that we were just coming out from a movie… really… Mark’s life story…airplanes, Peter trying his best on asking for directions with his Spanish, the Spanish in the mood for French while I was trying Spanish but only Dutch words where coming out to my head, staying or not staying for the night at Mark’s, dilemmas, opinions… we spent about 8 hours together and by the time we split (say I stepped out in Guimarães), we had already some in-jokes. In few hours you can swap so many experiences and get to know little parts of strangers. Some times you’re lucky, and you meet people who make your day worthier. :)

Really, this kind of meetings make you realize how much people there might be out there with who you can mingle with.

I will never forget the good short time I shared with those two… and I know… I will see you sooner (Mark;)) or later(Peter:P)!