There’s an interesting dynamic when meeting people at hostels. You tend to become close with people rather quickly and then part ways just as fast. Exchanging contact information is less common than you might expect. Today I said goodbye to multiple people I’ve spent quite a bit of time with people I’d become close to, some who's names I can’t remember.
The environment definitely lends itself to this behavior. The knowledge that while you’re sharing an experience it is ultimately a transient one. Travelers seem to understand going in that it’s unlikely they’ll spend long with these people and in most cases never meet again. So there’s a willingness to open up, to be vulnerable. If it goes well and you're headed in the same direction it may very well be the start of something special, and if not that’s okay too. If you gain nothing else from these relationship, these brief connections, it seems common to learn about traveling. People like to share what fun things they’ve done, places they’ve been, experiences they’ve had. You gain from the knowledge of others in search of something similar.
Every time I’ve stayed somewhere new it feels similar to how it did early on freshman year of college. That excitement, the possibility of meeting great people. The freedom of being able to detach from your past and reinvent yourself. To present yourself as whoever you want to be at that brief moment in time. But unlike the beginning of college, in these instances that feeling comes at a cost. The experiences and relationships are fleeting, there’s a noticeable emptiness associated with building relationships knowing they’re likely to die days later. Only the truly special ones really stand a chance of outlasting a reservation, and as most people’s stays are short, it truly is rare. From what I’ve heard, even if you find a lasting relationship and up traveling with the same people for some time, there’s still that chance that when you part ways, you truly part ways.
These feeling might change and I can revisit this topic later in my journey. I do find it truly fascinating and unique.
Safe Travels,
Aaron