Anyone who knew me during high school or my early years of
college knows that, deep at heart, I am an introvert. Working at UChicago Admissions has turned me
into much more of an extrovert than I ever thought I could become. I know this to be true because I have
discovered that one of my favorite “activities” was meeting people on the road
during my recruitment travel.
The following was my strategy of “kicking it off” with
unassuming strangers:
- Research for the perfect restaurant- I would
search Google Maps for something “local”, ie. not a chain. Places with local cuisine and craft brews
usually were the best options. Also,
nothing too classy. (Arriving after 8PM (great timing to slip a
workout in beforehand) ensures success in luring the perfect stranger for a
conversation)
- Drive/ walk to the restaurant with a book in hand.
- Sit at the bar and order drinks/ dinner.
- Sit and wait. I always start reading and usually wait for a person to ask me “what I was reading”. Or if I overhear a loud conversation that is interesting, I will often chime in.
-
If all else fails, enjoy a good meal, a nice
brew, and a few chapters of a good book.
Now don’t get me wrong- I am NOT a sex offender or thief, or
anything of the nature. This is solely
my way of breaking the monotony and loneliness of living in a hotel room alone,
often for weeks on end. Nobody,
including myself, has ever been caused any harm by this “activity”.
Moreover, traveling alone and engaging in conversations with
locals or other tourists from the area has really changed my perspective on
traveling. I have concluded long ago
that I enjoy traveling alone much more than traveling with a group. “But, Chris, that sounds like a very lonely,
introverted thing to do,” one may remark.
My response to that thought is, you cannot be more incorrect.
What do we do when we travel with a group of friends? We live life just as we do at home- we drink
with the same people, eat with the same people, discuss each one’s problems
(which will be waiting for each of us at home), walk around with people we
know, and take group photos in front of tourist attractions. What has changed besides the new locale? Taking vacations as a group is like extending
one’s life to a new environment for a few days.
Nothing really changes besides the weather and architecture.
Of course, some places cater to the “group vacation” (ie.
Las Vegas, Cancun, Disney World). And
road trips are a different story.
Traveling as a group insulates us and protects us from meeting someone
new. But by traveling alone, one becomes vulnerable, and he must quickly adapt
and meet new people, lest he experience the journey alone. Meeting locals is often the best way of
immersing oneself into the environment.
What types of jobs do the locals have?
What has changed in the area in the past few years? What problems does this stranger face? What books, movies, interests does this
person have, and how does this compare with others in the area? The accent?
The political leaning? Life
story?
So here is my ode to a few of the people I met on the road
over the past three years. I cannot
recall each character, but I will try my best to share the highlights. I hope you enjoy about reading about these
strangers:
·
The former-CEO of a medical supply shop at
Keegan’s Seafood Grille in Tampa Bay. He
was forced to shut down his company because Obama’s new business laws forced
too much red tape on his business, or so he claimed.
·
A woman (and her boyfriend..?) at the River City
Brewing Company in Jacksonville, FL. She
worked as a consultant for the railroad companies. She was excited about legislation that would
require all trains to have automatic anti-locking brakes. This legislation was introduced after a
conductor “missed” a signal when checking his texts and caused a casualty.
·
The Flamenco dancers that performed at my hotel
on Miami Beach. I learned that the lead
guitarist had won a lottery to emigrate from Cuba to the United States. I promised them that I would try to book them
some venues in Chicago, but unfortunately that was one of the few promises that
I failed to keep. Whoopsie!
·
The woman in Huntsville, AL, who was really
drunk and gushed to me about her kids (who were half-Asian, not a very common
ethnicity in Alabama).
·
The public defender and her friend who escaped a
South Florida squall by claiming a seat next to me (at Democratic Republic of
Beer). Eventually, she thought I was
hitting on her (although she was the one who approached and sat next to ME),
and I had to turn her advances down (because I was happily in a relationship at
the time).
·
The two young ladies in Atlanta who were about
to start their service with TFA. One
mentioned that an alligator lived near her soon-to-be home, and she was
contemplating feeding it so that she could report it to services to be
terminated.
·
The “hippie”, middle-aged woman who shepherded
me to the perfect spot on Key West for the sunset. She embodied the true spirit of Key West,
“One Human Family”.
·
The Brazilian couple in Fort Lauderdale who
insisted that I visited their hometown, João Pessoa, Brazil. He was a hotel mogul, and she was an
attractive news anchor. They both smoked
an obscene amount.
·
The young man in Portland, ME, who grew up on a
nearby island and took on various jobs.
That summer, he spent his time pitching tents at golf courses and hotels
for weddings. He was very proud of the
branding on his chest, which his friends and he created with scalding hangers
(the tattoo was nothing but an indiscernible cluster of welts).
·
The couple from Montreal who were taking a road
trip through New England. Their stop in
Portland, and mine, coincided at a portside bar with bluegrass music.
·
A newlywed couple (on their honeymoon) and a
recently engaged couple that I met at the hotel bar in Portland, as I was on my
way to my room. We went on an excursion
for beer, and ended up swimming in the hotel’s pool.
I knew I would never meet these people again, but they have
certainly made an impact on my life.
