Blue Skies

The first story is about lunch at a WWOOFing experience I did. It was my second day. The night before, I had met A*, who would become someone I leaned on, learnt from, and trusted almost completely. I sat next to him at the dinner table, with a sunny “hello.” He didn’t respond with a lot of emotion, but I kept up the conversation, knowing that people don’t need to be bubbly and rosy-cheeked to be open to a friendship. But I had my reservations. My room-mate had shared that he was into her, despite having a girlfriend, and only knowing her a few days. I saw that as shallow. That dinner conversation ended only a few sentences later, with a potentially-condescending “I would talk more, but I’m eating.” Ok, no worries, I gave it a shot, and it might still happen later.

At lunch he asked me a few things about my travels, the tone of an uninterested job interview. I was excited that he initiated some conversation, after our pretty cold start the night before. I’m travelling for a year. I don’t know where I’m going. I’ve been all over Europe, I’m in Türkiye because I think it’s a fascinating place. I want to see the world, and learn about it. (Unsaid but obvious in my mind: I’ve left my home and family, I’ve left a steady career-path, I’m living on simple food and toiletries, I’m carrying a huge backpack wherever I go, I’m staying in rooms shared with other people, dirty socks hanging above my head.

I’m sacrificing my comfort, in order to get out of my sheltered world and open my eyes.)

“You know, here, it’s a luxury to travel.”

Oh. How fucking obvious. I thought he’d be proud of me.

*Anonymised.