As I prepared for my first solo travel adventure a wise friend told me, in an attempt to calm my growing state of panic, that 99.9% of people in the world are nice. “In fact”, he told me, “people are awesome”.
This turned out to be the single best piece of travel, and life, advice I’ve ever received.
I haven’t met all of the people in the world so I’m not really qualified to unequivocally validate the statement but I can say, hand on heart, that my experience of travel, and life, reflects the statement to a tee.
People Are Awesome
These are a few examples of my experiences of nice people doing nice things both at home and abroad.
1. When I was in Melbourne, a lady stopped in the street, rummaged through her bag and gave me a tissue after I’d accidentally drenched myself in sparkling water.
Ophelia Sculpture, Southbank, Melbourne
2. A lady invited me into her home in Fiji because I looked tired. She offered me a cushion to rest on and actually apologised to me because she didn’t have a chair. I was humbled and inspired by her kindness, to the point of tears.
New friends in Fiji
3. On a late night bus in Croatia, the bus driver drove past my stop and a further two stops. Sensing my concern, a lady got off the bus 2 stops before her own, to show me how to get back to where I needed to be.
Dubrovnik, Croatia from above
4. A young hostel worker in Vietnam took some friends and I on a tour of Hanoi (free of charge) because we wanted to go sightseeing and he wanted to practice his English. We bought him lunch.
‘Hope & Love for Peace’ sculpture, Hanoi, Vietnam
5. When travelling solo in Alice Springs, a complete stranger with a sixth sense stepped in and, avoiding any unnecessary drama, stopped a drunk man from robbing me of my shopping bag.
Uluru, Australia
6. An anonymous driver in the car in front of me paid my bridge toll on the Erskine bridge in Scotland. I have no idea who or why, but it made my day.
Photo by Bob the courier
7. A badass looking guy on the New York subway gave up his seat for my mum and then chatted to us for the remainder of the journey, seemingly genuinely interested in our story.
Love Locks on Brooklyn Bridge, New York
8. I was locked out of my apartment, having just arrived in Nassau late at night. A Bahamian taxi driver waited with me for almost an hour until I managed to check-in. He didn’t charge me extra.
Storm in Nassau, Bahamas
9. After a night out in Alice Springs, a new friend walked me to my hostel because I couldn’t get a taxi and he wouldn’t let me walk the few hundred yards to my hostel alone.
Ayers Rock, Australia
10. At Strandbad Wannsee in Berlin, a stranger bought me an ice cream. There was no agenda. I thanked him and he went on his way.
Strandbad Wannsee, Berlin
12. A man carried my suitcase up the stairs and over the bridge at my local train station. I didn’t know whether to be offended (do I look old and weak?) or grateful. But I chose grateful (I didn’t take a photo, cause that would have been weird).
Although I can’t speak for 99.9% of people in the world, I can speak for 99.9% of the people that I’ve encountered. And by god, people are awesome.
Do you have any examples of nice people doing nice things?