nice meeting you.

It’s unbelievable the amount of people that will come into and out of your life.

You’ve got your family, you’ve got your friends, you’ve got the people who you will always say “see ya later” rather than goodbye.

The interesting footprints are the ones left by strangers, those who you realize and accept that you will never, ever see again.

I went to Europe two years ago; our tour guide’s name was James. Funny guy. He, being a tour guide, connected and then disconnected with people for a living. Naturally, he had a refreshing perspective on things.

In today’s day and age, it’s hard to make a connection with someone without asking their name, number, and twitter info. This is how us suburban kids grew up- meet people, become friends, stay connected.

I actually remember the night James and I had a little chat, which evolved into this surprisingly deep conversation aside from everyone else’s bantering.

One thing he told me was this: 

People come and go, but you have to enjoy it. You meet someone on a plane, get to know him or her for a couple of hours, and at the end, say, “It was very nice talking to you” and move on. There is no need to exchange numbers and say you’ll meet up later in life. The realistic thing is that you’ll never see them again, but you had a good time together.

This is so interesting to me. Some people come into your life, and you enjoy their company. They then make their exit, and it’s time to move on. Not to forget, but to accept.

I’ve been thinking about this all summer. The people I have met in the past 2 months… it’s amazing. A lady who gave me chills talking about Soundset. Veronica, a California store manager, most patient person I’ve ever met. Skylar and Damion, two professional surfers that I met and ended up going on a double date with. All the Norway guys that I met while working at the mall and watched at the USA cup. Friends of friends, who extend welcoming arms.

All of these, and so many more, are people who I will quite literally never see again.

In many subtle ways, I have been impacted by these people. I have enjoyed their company, and even though I get nostalgic, I move on. Delete the numbers, unfollow on twitter, it’s been real but it doesn’t need to be forever.

I'm on my way to Cali for a week and a half to visit my friends. Literally, I leave in 20 minutes. I'm about to meet a whole lot more of these "see ya never" type people, and I'm 100% okay with that.

“Some people walk into your life and quickly go. Others stay for a while and make footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.”

There are two categories: people who come and go, and people who stay and impact. I really believe that the ones who come and go make such an underrated difference in our lives though, too.

Strangers work subtle miracles in our lives. They have the small power to make our day better. They give us new perspectives. They present to us qualities and traits that nobody in our current lives possesses. In other words, they show us what else exists out there, and that maybe we deserve better.

Everyone that enters your life will leave some sort of imprint on you. Find out peoples’ stories; let yourself learn from each person. Directly or indirectly. Enjoy things while they last. However, at the ending, do not play tug-of-war when they leave.

Accept what is gone and what it has given you.