An impulsive trip to Amsterdam taught me what a tiny world this actually is. I knew it already, when bumping into the same people on different sides of the globe. That’s when I stopped believing in ‘coincidence’ as an answer to situations I couldn’t explain.
I spent two sweet days in the city of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll with a wonderful friend of mine. Only we traded it for hugs, wine and a peek inside a roller disco. Doing things our cosy way. Sunshine breakfast, ferry rides to the arty part of town. Getting lost in the Jordaan, with her little houses, bridges and romance.
Sunday afternoon we said our goodbyes and I was off on my own. Or so I thought. A magical woman I met one night in Bali, over two years ago, opened her Amsterdam home to me. It felt unreal to reconnect on the other side of the planet. Next thing I know I receive a message from a friend who lives in London, who I met eight years ago at a festival in Belgium. Last time we bumped into each other was two years ago, in Toronto. And guess what? He was in Amsterdam too! The crazy tiny world we live in!
We met up for drinks and catchups, I was all smiles and shiny eyes. After I dropped him off at a taxi to the airport, I wandered the streets thinking: what other surprises does this city hold? As I crossed the square, I saw the brother of a childhood friend. It seemed like all the things that happen to me, the amount of people I bump into randomly on my travels, were stuffed into a short weekend in Amsterdam.
Even though I live in my home country at the moment, making short trips to nearby places, travel life is still a big part of me. Friends I met along the way, I know I will keep crossing paths with. Just like the travel bug living inside of me, my feet endlessly itching, good people keep on crossing my path.