Fellow travelers

Dear Crew,

I have a little habit. Whenever I'm on a train, bus, or plane, at some point I look around and think: Who would I be friends with if we were suddenly traveling together for a few more hours?

Not because I necessarily want to start a conversation. But because the thought makes me happy—that we all just happen to be heading in the same direction right now.

Some people read. Some people sleep. Some people look out the window. Some people are looking forward to seeing someone.

And for just a moment, we're all part of the same journey.

I think that's why I've always liked parties. Not just for the party itself, but for that magical moment when a community slowly emerges from a group of individuals.

When someone suddenly laughs. Someone else joins them. And all of a sudden, a conversation starts that nobody had planned beforehand.

Maybe that's my favorite kind of magic of all. Not changing people, but creating conditions that make it easy for people to connect.

A beautiful room. A scent. A campfire. A story. A circle.

And then the rest just happens on its own.

I don't see people as an audience. Not as a target group. Not even, at first, as strangers.

I see us as a crew.

People who share the same path for a while. Some get off earlier. Some later. With some, we barely exchange a word. With others, a conversation begins that we still carry with us years later.

And sometimes, just knowing it in our hearts is enough: It’s been wonderful that we’ve been on this journey together.

Maybe we don't need so many places where we have to play a certain role. Maybe we need more places where we're simply allowed to linger for a moment.

It's like being on board a small spaceship. Where someone smiles and says, "It's nice to have you here. There's still room for you."

With love and open seats on board,
Jeannette