So many, but several of my absolute favorites all happened in the same 2-day window years ago. I took a semester off college and traveled around the US. I rode the Empire Builder train from Chicago to Seattle, a 2-day trip.

The first was a deaf man who took that trip multiple times a year. He knew the train didn’t have enough outlets for everyone, so he brought a power strip to share with everyone and he’d monitor devices and return them when they were full battery. He and I ‘talked’ for quite a while by passing notes on his phone back and forth.

The next is the one that came to mind first for this question. I was traveling on a budget, and I have a low appetite any way, so I bought snack bars and things for the train so I could save money over the train’s food. At one point, a woman offered me a granola bar out of the blue and I turned her down but didn’t think much of it.

Half a day later, she and her partner were preparing to get off at the next stop. Her partner walked up to me and said, and I quote, “Now I know it’s none of my damn business, but do you have supple money?” It took me a moment to process what he was asking, and I told him I did. He insisted again. I ultimately didn’t take any from him, but what I realized was that the two of them had been watching this young woman, traveling alone, never getting up to go buy food for almost two days straight. They thought I wasn’t eating and offered me food and money. Total strangers. It makes me tear up thinking about them and their kindness.

The last was a young man, closer to my age who got on the train with a full on double bass. He was heading out west with plans to busk his way down the coast. He and I chatted for the last couple hours of the trip, sharing music from his MP3 player. It was an enjoyable bond that lasted only for the moment, as we didn’t exchange contact info or have any other way to connect again.

I still think about those people, and I’ll always remember that trip as one of my favorites because of those strangers.