Only Human
(While I write this blog, I have that song in my mind: “I’m only human after all” from Rag’n’Bone Man)
Part One: Stepped Right Out of My Comfort
Last Tuesday, around 5:00 PM, my son was just back from school, and I was in the middle of preparing dinner when my dog started barking (someone was at the door.. again!). I opened the door to a teenage/kid/boy on a bike, who looked quite tired. He explained he was on a bike tour from Scotland down to London, with zero budget. He asked if I had any work he could do and if I could possibly offer him a place to stay. I was baffled and uneasy. On one hand, he was a complete stranger—we are all used to knocks on the door, and the ensuing 'no thank you.' But... on the other hand, there was this innocence about him, he reminded me of my own son. Damn, what should I do? I was uncomfortable and undecided.To make time, I asked if he had any references. (A reference? What was I thinking, this wasn't a job interview!) He pulled out a notebook, a journal where people who had hosted him had written notes, drawings, stickers, etc. I smiled inside as I’m an avid journaler, too.It is very wild letting a stranger in, but I was seriously considering it (whaaaat??). I called my husband, took a breath and... said yes.Part Two: The non-planner
Villads (that's his name) had dinner with us and stayed the night. He's from Denmark, traveling on his gap year with zero budget. His whole trip involves talking to strangers and asking for a place to stay (he does have a sleeping bag, just in case) and for food. He's curious about how locals live—what they think, what they do. Thus, he aims to stay with us/locals. He’s trying to get to know places, the real life, not just ticking off touristic experiences. His trips are not planned, there is a lot of room for randomness, spontaneity, and his approach to life seems to be open, curious, and trusting. What puzzled me the most is how relaxed he is about eating (I’m a hungry person and always stress out about eating well/enough, what is my next meal going to be). I asked if he was ever afraid of not having enough to eat or sleeping on an empty stomach. "In the three trips I've done like this, I have never been left hungry. When I ask, people always give.The next day, I gave him breakfast and he parted to continue his journey. This small encounter was special; it took me out of my routine, out of my carefully laid plans. It made me reflect in spontaneity, trust, settling into our comfort zone, or not. Obviously Villads is young and has a very different approach to life to mine, still, this encounter made me think that there is something about that approach... a je ne sais quoi, that is freeing and liberating.