The People We Meet

Reflections from a week in the rain.

Not all vacations are defined by the hours we spend in the sun.

Although I love the sun, traveling for me is to explore and learn new things. It is to settle my thoughts and rest my mind. To reconnect with myself and my relationships. And to meet new people with different views on life.

Let me tell you about someone I met during my week in the Yucatan, Mexico.

I waived my hand and he stopped. We jumped in to his taxi and started to talk.

"Como estas?", I said.
"Excellente", he answered.

His name was Silverio. A man in his 50s who just started driving taxi a couple of months ago. I didn't think much more of that but took his number and asked if he could pick us up later. I do that when I meet people on vacation that I like. Partly because his prices where better and partly because I like being loyal to people and creating relationships. It makes me feel at home, even in a new place.

During the week we always took our rides with Silverio and we spoked more and more. His answer to: "Como estas?", was always: EXCELLENTE. 

I learned that prior to driving taxi he had been a bar manager for 28 years, managing 50 people. He had a wife and two kids. His son was 26 and worked as a graphic designer and his daughter was 21 and studied graphic design. Silverio told us that his daughter had suffered from Leukemia and was now healthy again and just needed to go to check ups.

That was it, no wonder he felt: EXCELLENTE.

Silverio was so happy and grateful that his daughter was healthy. And so was I. Who cares that it rained all week or that life doesn't give you all that you want. We might say it way to much, but I'll say it again just to remind myself: EVERYDAY ABOVE GROUND IS A GREAT DAY.

Thank you Silverio.