Backpacking

Over the weekend, a young man walked into the cold adult beverage establishment and asked if I could tell him with the Scottish Inn Motel was located. He was literally across the street from it but could not see it due to the gas station in the way.  Quinn, one of the regulars, asked him to come back for a drink after he checked in, and he did.

He proceeded to tell us he was 24, from the UK, and is backpacking and riding buses across North America. He was in a dead end job, not happy with college, and just wanted to do something completely different before he grows up, as he put it.  His start was Toronto, and he has been making his way down from Canada, through the south and now in Texas for a few days to experience, Austin, Houston, and Dallas.  From here, he will head toward Mexico, celebrate Day of the Dead there, go through Central America and right on down to South America then back to the UK.  He said he plans to get a new job and now knows what he wants to study in college.

We proceeded to introduce him to all the local beers, a few shots, and some great conversation.  He exchanged contact info, and one of the other locals even gave him a nice camera to take better pictures than his cell phone.

I ran into Quinn yesterday and asked how it all ended.  He said that of all the people he had met and places he had been, the crowd in Houston was the kindest and most memorable.

There were some nice takeaways from the encounter. 

1.     Initiative is a great thing.

2.     If you’re unhappy with your current situation, change it.

3.     There is always time for kindness.