Every time I travel to a different part of the South
Pacific, I re-remember why I love this area of the world so much.
This weekend, I had the opportunity to visit the capital
city of an adjacent country. I had an
initial plan – I would go see a big tennis tournament, sleep at this hotel,
meet up with these friends, and fly out at this time. But as all experienced travelers know, the
plan very rarely goes as scheduled. So
this is a little of my story of the weekend.
Friday night I got to the airport and stayed in the airport
hotel. All smooth so far. As I settled into my room, I got a text from
the airline I was flying, saying my flight had been delayed from 5:30am to
9:00am. That’s 3.5 hours later! I had planned exactly how much time I needed
to get from the airport, through customs, to a taxi, and into the stadium, and
that was all thrown off. I did arrive 20
minutes late to the start of the first match, but I got to see another 6 hours,
so that 20 minutes wasn’t too important.
Saturday morning, the flight went as planned. I got into the country and waited through the
lines, then got to the airport train leading into the city. When I needed a taxi to take me the rest of
the way, I told him the location and I got him really lost. I guess my language and his language didn’t
translate, so I was at a much different place than I wanted to be. But eventually, we got sorted out, and he
pointed me directly to the tennis stadium.
He didn’t get mad; instead, he was so helpful even when I got him lost. That taxi driver is someone I will remember.
At the stadium, I asked 2 different people for
directions. One was the souvenir shop
guy, and he gave me detailed directions of how to get to the closest mall. Then, on the way out, I asked a security guard
how to find the taxi. He not only
pointed me to the taxi rental outside the stadium, he introduced himself by
name, asked if I had other questions, and then told me that he can get me in
for free tomorrow if I find him before I got my ticket. I wasn’t exactly sure if I could count on the
free ticket, but sure enough, the next day he was waiting for me at the front
gate and walked me right in. Both of
these people made time for me, out of their crazy schedule with 1000’s of other
people at the event, and I felt very welcomed and appreciated.
At the taxi rental, I tried to get a taxi to take me around
town to visit my friends’ house. When I
told them the location, one driver responded saying ‘This is too far, and I
don’t want to take that much money from you.”
Then he gave me the exact route of how to get there by the metro, which
ended up saving me so much money. That
taxi driver’s kindness meant a lot. I
never did get to meet up with my friends, as the metro is very slow and it was
getting late when I left the stadium, but their kindness was much
appreciated.
I did get about ¾ of the way to my friends’ house though,
which put me across town from the stadium.
So I chose to book a hotel closer to my current location, instead of one
right beside the stadium as I planned.
So I called another taxi (after checking public transit routes, I’m
learning!), and this guy was so helpful.
Most taxis here charge a flat fee, so I gave him the fee and we were
off. On the way, he asked me questions
and I asked him questions, and it was very pleasant and friend. When we got the hotel, the car couldn’t get
to the front because of an outdoor marker going on, so I had to walk around the
sketchy back alley leading to the door.
He could tell I was nervous, so he parked the taxi, paid to park, and
walked in with me. He stayed the whole
way until I got checked in at the hotel and had my room key in hand. He even gave me his card and told me if I
need anything else, taxi service or just questions of how to get around, to give
him a call. We said goodbye, and I felt
like I was saying goodbye to a friend.
At the hotel, the receptionist figured out my stay, and then
she told me she upgraded my reservation from a cheap room to a deluxe room for
free, just because she could. Another
super friendly person.
The next day, I went to Chinatown for lunch. There were no free tables in the market, so I
sat down with another 20-something-year-old guy who was sitting by
himself. We quickly got talking, and he
offered to give me a tour of the city and even stay in his apartment when I
come back. I got his number, he got
mine, and now I even have a few friends my age in this new place. Again, I was so impressed by how friendly
everyone along this trip was.
So as I sat there, on the plane coming home from my trip, I
notice that the events that I did are not what stuck out. Yes, the tennis was awesome, I love flying
and experiencing a new city, and navigating the metro is always an adventure
the first time, but I’m writing and remembering more people than events. The people here just know how to care about
people. Now, the disclaimer that I’m a
solo American traveler that people must feel bad for and want to impress has to
be included in this blog. But I have a
feeling that people wouldn’t stop caring about each other even if they were
nationals. Caring and loving people is
just a way of life here, which is why I feel so at peace. As I strive to love people, I finally feel
I’m in a place that truly understands what it means to care for others.
I’m sure we’ve all heard the phrase “People will forget what
you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” This rings true throughout this trip. I’m traveling by myself, in a completely new
country, but I’ve never felt lonely or unsupported through the whole 36 hours I
spent outside my country. The people in
this area of the world are special, and it is a joy to live around them this
year.
So make sure to treat each person as special. You never know who is listening or writing in
their journal about how great you made them feel. We have a perfect role model of love through
the life of Christ Jesus – don’t be afraid to live up to that challenge.
Thank you Jesus: for safe travels, for wonderful friends and
family to share with when I returned, and for seeing and learning so much more
than who won the tennis tournament.
Luke Forshey
October 4, 2015
Luke Forshey
October 4, 2015
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