On Hitchhiking

That utter helplessness of being at the mercy of whoever finds you decent enough to merit a ride is remarkably humbling. That split second when your eyes meet that of the driver’s dictates the course of your adventure. You get rejected many times. But that one instant when someone finally pulls over, you are overcome with excitement. Stories are told. Laughters shared. You realize then how incredibly rich someone else’s life is. You embrace the strangeness of the stranger. The kind of life you thought inexistent is breathing vividly right next to you. It’s as though you are a universe apart. Yet you also recognize the beauty of it all. You begin to trust humanity again. Trust that kindness is to be found even amongst a sea of unknowns.