One of the sweetest parts about travelling is meeting the locals, having a chat with them, and learning about their lives.

When I took up a job face to face fundraiser during my Working Holiday stint in New Zealand, it was for the sake of learning the art of selling. The stress of sales aside, little did I know my days would be filled with inspiring conversations with locals of all backgrounds. You’d be surprise what a simple “Hello, how are you?” could get you. Oftentimes, a plain question about their job or their children would give me so much more than I expected.They taught me not only about their lives, but also about life itself.

I quickly adopted a new daily KPI for myself: Have amazing conversations. Till this day, I still miss being on the streets and looking forward to that one amazing person to have a chat with. It makes being rejected by the other 99 worth it.

“I’m just here busking for smokes. It’s good. It’s way better than doing robbery. I can make more here.”

These fleeting conversations resonated so deep within me that I had to record them down. Initially shared on my Facebook, I’m compiling them here so I know where to look for a little inspiration when life hands me a sucker punch.

This story will be a two-part series. Part 1 tells of family and love. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it.

THE NEW FATHER:

THE NAVY BOY:

THE SINGLE MOM: 

THE GRIEVING HUSBAND: 

By the end of these conversations, I’d be left speechless; hit hard by the sadness in their eyes, and the quiver in their voice. My eyes holding back tears as I wave them good-bye and wish them good luck.

I took away a lot from these conversations and I hope you are able to leave with something too.

Now read: Part 2, stories on hardship and grit.

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I’m dedicating this site to personal travel stories that’ll teach and inspire. If you like traveling vicariously through my stories, leave a comment and follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more.