59 years of marriage...incredible people and stories

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Everybody always asks me, why I travel alone. If I'm not afraid, or if I don't miss company. Truth is...I don't miss anything, because in this way, you create your own journey, you don't actually plan that much and best of all, you don't need to adjust your plans to other people. If it happens that you share a part of the path with someone, it's more coincidence and a much bigger pleasure than it would be otherwise.

So, in this way I end up doing all kinds of stuff, with all kinds of people that I meet on the way. And honestly, I get to know so much more people if I'm alone than when I travel with somebody. Today, I enjoyed the company of a very nice girl, which turned out to be only 18 and at this moment I started thinking, how I saw myself at that age. Honestly, I think I wasn't half as mature as she is, and I caught myself thinking about how I probably wouldn't be that brave and just leave my home for a year and travel alone.

She decided to join me for a visit of a place called Bomas of Kenya, where they display all the traditional huts of the tribes in the country. I didn't expect much of that place, but it turned out to be an amazing experience with a dance performance at the end, where you can get blown away by the magical sounds of the African drums, and admire the different traditional dances and singing.

While waiting for the show, an elderly gentleman joined us on the seat next to us, and we started chatting. He explained that he's traveling for a month and that he usually traveled with his wife, but she passed away 3 years ago. We asked how long they were together, and after showing us a picture of them two, his answer was 59 years.... we just couldn't say anything than "wow", because on top of that, they knew each other since they were 14... a lifetime spent with one person. With your soul mate. Isn't that something incredible? How many people do you know that had such a long relationship? I wondered if they ever had serious problems, but I figured that even if they did, they just fixed them!

Did we forget how to fix things? Is it just easier nowadays to exchange "things, that are not working"? I looked at the photo he was showing us, and looked at his face when he talked about the times they traveled together. I cannot describe the feeling I got while talking to this man, now traveling alone and remembering all the years they shared so many moments and experiences. He had something peaceful in his eyes, and that story made me believe that relationships like this still exist, in real life, not only in books.

And this is why I love to be on the way alone...I'm thankful for all those amazing people crossing my path and all the lessons I learn from them.

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