There’s a moment in travel
when everything feels like too much.

You’re in the wrong city.
Your phone battery is dead.
You can’t read the signs.
And for a second, you wonder if coming here was a mistake.

Then a stranger appears.

Maybe they don’t speak your language.
But they gesture.
They smile.
They wait with you.

They help you carry your bag.
They show you where to catch the right bus.
They pay for your meal when your card doesn’t work.
They remind you, with just a few words 
that you’re not as alone as you feel.

You won’t always remember their names.
But you’ll remember their kindness.
Because in that moment, they became more than just strangers.

They became the reason you made it through the day.
The reason you didn’t give up on the trip.
The reason you still believe in people.

Travel will stretch you.
It will humble you.
But it will also show you
that goodness exists in the most unexpected places.

So here’s to the strangers who save us 
without even knowing it.