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I love making friends on my travels but it mostly happens when I’m alone. So this work trip was the perfect setting to get acquainted with some of the people in my temporary neighbourhood. (N.B. The names are made up but the problems are real)

Let’s see…there was Jeff the sushi chef, whose son got into drugs and then cleaned-up and is now taking a year out before going to college, there was Gary the cab driver, who hates kids and likes to go fishing and sees 8-footer tiger sharks in the waters close to my hotel pretty often, there was Malcolm the surf instructor, whose 70-something-year-old mom teaches yoga and is completely “gnarly” (whatever that means), and there was Sheldon the bell boy, who is terrified of the cold, so he wears wet suits during his morning surf sessions, and he thinks I’m incredible just for being able to live through D.C.’s winters.

Besides the friendly chat, Malcolm lent me a board, took me out surfing and pushed me onto waves so I wouldn’t have to kill myself paddling for them, Jeff regularly cut up some fruit, which I didn’t order, for me after my meal, Gary gave me a free ride and Sheldon, well Sheldon noted my travel details after I only casually mentioned it in conversation and made sure I got to the airport on time. All in all, they made my work trip warm and pretty enjoyable.