We’ve all experienced it — running into someone we know when we’re out of town; pulling into a parking spot at the same time as an acquaintance we haven’t seen in years; finding out that we have mutual friends with a complete stranger we meet at a party.
As they say, “it’s a small world.”
But the world seems even smaller still when experiences like these happen when we’re traveling thousands of miles from home.
It’s a Sign
Before my semester abroad in New Zealand, my study abroad program gave me a list of all the other U.S. students going to be in NZ at the same time as me. Most of them weren’t studying in Wellington like I was, and some who were were from states like Iowa and Vermont. But there were three other Ohioans on the list, so I decided to do some Facebook stalking.
I started chatting with Jamie and Andrea on Facebook — two Ohio girls from cities only a couple hours away from where I was going to college. We decided we’d have to meet up to chat in person once we finally made it to Wellington.
Fast forward a couple of months as a very sweaty me is struggling with my two unruly suitcases in the Los Angeles airport. I’m pissed that I had to claim my luggage after arriving from Pittsburgh, and angrier still that it’s so freaking hot in LA in July. I finally manage to make it to the Air New Zealand check-in line, and flop next to a girl my age who’s also toting a lot of luggage. I happen to glance down at the luggage tag on one of her bags. It’s Jamie. She realizes it’s me at about the same time, and we discover we’re on the same flight from LA to Auckland. We end up sharing a pizza together before our flight leaves, and ate many, many more together once in Wellington.
As fate would have it, my first in-person meeting with Andrea in New Zealand happened in a similar fashion. I had settled into my apartment in Wellington, and had hoped to meet up with Andrea that afternoon so we could get lost in the city together on a search for pillows and groceries. But I didn’t have working Internet yet, and she didn’t have a functioning cell phone. I decided I would simply find my way to her Wellington apartment building and badger her landlord into telling me which room she was in. Apparently, Andrea had the exact same idea. As I’m crossing Taranaki Street on my way to Andrea’s apartment, I see a blonde girl crossing the street from the opposite side. It’s Andrea. We meet literally in the middle of the road, blink at each other for a second, and then laugh at our luck.
Clearly, these friendships were meant to be.
Ohio Must Really Suck
A lot of my “small world” travel moments involve Ohioans. I’m not sure what it is about the Midwest, but it must inspire lots of people to leave, because I always run into Midwesterners while abroad.
Like the 7 other Ohioans on a trip to Ireland me and 3 friends took in college.
Or the 4 Ohioans who ended up studying abroad in Wellington at the same time (my parents joke that I traveled literally halfway around the world to hang out with people who live half a state away).
But my favorite story about running into Ohioans abroad takes place in Queenstown, New Zealand.
Jamie, Andrea and I are traveling for 10 days around the South Island together. We’ve spent time so far in Picton, Kaikoura and Christchurch, and have driven from Dunedin to Invercargill via the amazing Southern Scenic Route. We’re spending our last couple of days in the resort town of Queenstown, planning to visit Milford Sound and try out some adventure sports.
We arrive in Queenstown in the afternoon, and decide to get a snack and a view from the Skyline Gondola. We grab our lift tickets and go up, and even try out the luge (which Jamie fails spectacularly at). Once we get back down, we decide we want a photo in front of the Skyline sign. We ask the first group of people we see if they wouldn’t mind taking our photo.
They agree and snap the shot.
We realize they’re Americans, and they notice that we are, too.
We ask where they’re from.
Ohio, of course.
We get to talking, and discover that, not only are they from Ohio, but one of them has a daughter who goes to school at the same university as Andrea. They’re also doing the same South Island itinerary as us, but in reverse, so we give them all our tips and secrets.
As we part, we all acknowledge that, even though the world is huge, it certainly feels small today.
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Have you had any “small world” experiences while traveling abroad? If so, tell me about them!
My favorite “small world” moment involves Kyrgyzstan and Scranton, PA. We were staying with a friend of a woman we had just met. She asked where Dan was from and kept pressing for him to go more local. Turns out her first trip to the United States was to Scranton, PA for a study abroad program! We got to her house and she had a photo album full of photos from Dan’s hometown. Love it.
Wow, how crazy! I love those sorts of random connections you find in the most unlikely places while traveling.
That’s one of the best parts of travelling – running into people you’re somehow related to. It really remind you where you’re from and how lucky you are to be abroad.
Especially when you create such a great friendship out of these run-ins!
Definitely! And it just goes to show how easy it is to make connections while traveling, too!
That’s awesome! My boyfriend was in Greece a couple months ago & met a girl who knew of my blog. She turned out to be the only person I didn’t know who subscribed to my blog before I went self hosted. Crazy!
Ali recently posted..A Day in London
So you’re like an international celebrity! Wow. I had no idea.
That’s so cool, though! I’ll bet hearing that made your day.
The world is definitely very small. You don’t think of it much until you meet somebody in the most unexpected of places. I met my university professor in Germany, 3000-4000km away from home/university. Recently I quit my job which is in a another town, I commuted 2.5 hours there every day, one way. And the very next weekend I met my *cough* crush from work in my city… It’s just odd, sometimes you go 5 years without seeing some people who basically live in your neighborhood and then bam and you meet somebody like that.
It’s great. Spices life up, so to speak.
Ira recently posted..Off the beaten path- Rheinland-Pfalz- Germany
I always love hearing these sorts of stories – it seems like everyone has one, which is neat. For a world that’s so huge, with so many people in it, it just boggles my mind how frequently these “small world” moments happen.
Love this post!!
I have Small World moments on almost every trip it seems these days (or at least the trips lead to other small world moments later on)
Like the Swedish girl I met in Fiji who then traveled through Australia only to meet another girl from my home city whom I have 10 fb friends in common with. Or that time in Spain when I was partying in my hostel before La Tomatina when 40,000 travelers go to Valencia and Bunol and I turn around to see Nomadic Matt standing in front of me!
Or getting introduced to a friend who I met travelings friend who when I looked at her I already knew because we went to High School together soooooo crazy!
The list goes on, I’ve already written two posts about them! haha
Cailin recently posted..Interview with Kate McKenna – Transat Holidays Vacationer
Crazy indeed! Those moments always make great stories though, don’t they?
I met a client I used to work with back in the UK while I was on a boat trip over here in Australia. That was pretty crazy.
Dan Collins recently posted..Christmas in Cooly
What are the odds, right?? Especially with something like that, running into someone you actually KNOW halfway around the world. Crazy.
That’s a cool story. I’ve had plenty of small-world moments but can’t remember any one specific right now… Aaargh! But I used to go an all-girl Catholic high school in Indonesia and for some reason I’ve kept bumping into a lot of them in my year in San Francisco. I guess this is where a lot of people end up? It’s funny how having that one shared connection in the past usually makes us act like long-lost friends… which in a way, I guess we are.
Jill – Jack and Jill Travel The World recently posted..What I’ve Learned in 2 Months of Blogging
Well I’d say that’s definitely a small world moment, Jill! I mean, Indonesia and San Francisco aren’t exactly close.
My small world moment was in Ireland. I was walking to the Abbey ruins near Kilkenny – 2 miles from where the bus had left me. As I walked on a busy road, a car pulled over and the family inside asked me if I knew where the ruins were. We started talking and found out that both I and the family were from Australia, and then as we continued we found out that they had worked on a film in Queensland that had been produced by a good work colleague of mine.
How cool! Did they offer you a ride to the ruins? Haha.
Oh and my other small world moment – I was at the British Museum and heard a voice behind me talking to a friend of hers about how the rosetta stone miniature replica in the gift shop would be too heavy to take with her, especially the amount she wanted to get for family and friends. I thought, ‘hang on, i know that voice, i know that laugh.’
Turned around and it was a friend and spiritual teacher of mine from Sydney – 11,000 miles away from Sydney and we both managed to be at the same place at the same time without any knowledge whatsoever that we would each be there! Got a photo to prove the serendipity lol
Funny how you remember voices and laughs, and can recognize them anywhere! Neat story.
Oh I loved this story… especially the Ohio must suck comment
I was visiting Chicago for a weekend and crossing the street back to my hotel at 1 a.m. with friends when I heard someone call my name–I looked over and it was a guy I acted in plays with in high school! He was living in Chicago, and he literally getting on a plane to move to Korea the very next day. It was the most random meeting of my entire life!
Emily @Travelated recently posted..4 Extreme Winter Sports Trips
Haha, glad you liked the “Ohio must really suck” part. Iowa too, apparently, as I’ve also met quite a few people from there, too, while abroad!
I love when moments like this happen, makes me feel like the stars are aligned because I’m on the right path (the path being traveling LOL).
Andi recently posted..Chile- Argentina & Uruguay- Day 1
It gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling, doesn’t it? Or, at the very least, moments like these can brighten up a bad day.
Yeah, I totally agree with you. We are really living in a small world. Since then, I’ve met so many people who happened to know my friends. Lately, I check out the facebook account of a good friend of mine way back in highschool. I was surprised when she also know my friend when I was still in my primary level. Unknowingly, you will be reunited again with other people.
Cole Stan recently posted..7 Great First Year Anniversary Gifts For Friends
It’s neat when you find out (often via Facebook) that two people you know from different circles (or even opposite sides of the world!) are friends with each other, as well. Maybe it’s due to us all being so digitally connected these days?
That’s a great story and we definitely live in a freakishly small world! While I’ve never run into someone I directly knew, I’ve certainly had some “small world” moments meeting friends of friends!
Most recently I was met a French fellow in Kunming, China who had spent a year in NYC working for the French Consulate. While he was in town, he dated someone that I know!
Aaron recently posted..Free Stuff in NYC- The Daily Show & The Colbert Report
Isn’t it cool (and yet almost freaky) when you discover those random connections and things/people in common with complete strangers?? I love it.
Hahaha. Love it. I’ve had my share of “small world” experiences too. Most of them I forget, but a few have stuck in my mind recently.
Ian [EagerExistence] recently posted..Small World: Running into People Travelling
I’ve had a couple more since writing this, too! Always such a cool feeling.