Friends We’ve Made Around the World

Patricia and your friend Tanay Sinha...for bookending our Bhutan trip with another unexpected Sardinia reunion and run-in in Delhi during our one day there after returning from Bhutan! 09/26/24.

Nolan and Martin...for gifting your friendship with Letti to be one of us monsooners 9 motnhs ago, and in turn, inviting us to join your group on your longtime trip planned to Bhutan! We combined our groups of 11 and 13 to make it a perfect 24! 09/23/24.

Raghav representing Biriyani Boat, and Mel's new friend she made on her delayed flight on Qatar Airways, Maria!...the former and us became friends 3 years ago at Sardinia for TYW, and we'd run into each other again the day before our Bhutan trip in Kathmandu! The latter for keeping Mel company as you made your way from New York to Doha to Kathmandu despite all the hiccups. 09/22/24.

Zorine...for the fulfilling soulful conversations the morning of my departure from London and on my very last day of this monsoon. For a conversation that I did not expect and didn't know I had needed. 07/26/24.

Julian, Kris, Tammy, and my London monsooners...for rallying a huge dinner party to welcome me back to London and becoming fast friends with one another. 07/25/24.

Sofia...for showing us around Paris at night, taking us to your favorite spot Le Compass and encouraging us to rally when we all thought we'd turn in after 3 days of Tomorrowland. 07/23/24.

Priyanka & Aastha...for making a 14 year dream come true when we'd all run into each other again at Tomorrowland while listening to Lost Frequencies at The Library stage. We first surprised one another 14 years ago on my first day of my first monsoon back when I crashed an engagement party in Mumbai. We'd surprise one another still today. 07/20/24.

Alina...for opening up your studio and lifeblood, Pansy, while we were in Amsterdam. Thank you for inviting us in and showing us around and making us feel at home. 07/16/24.

Theo...for the impeccable timing of accompanying us on your very last day of a month in Amsterdam just as we'd arrive on our first day. Good luck in your Astrophysics endeavors! 07/15/24.

Sean and then your friend Cody...for showing us the Guam hospitality by literally showing us around Guam. And not only did you give us history, you also gave us personal which means more to me than you know. Looking forward to returning with Lyla and driving around the island again with her! 02/27/24.

Ben and Emma...for skiing with us, holding seats for us at Gyu+, and then finally dining with us at our private booked out dinner at Upashi Seta the next evening. Any friends of Brett is a friend of ours! 02/17/24.

Valerie...for running into me on our train ride back from Newark airport, and validating my earlier gut feeling that led me to inexplicably cancel my Lyft ride in favor of taking NJ Transit, a mode of transportation I rarely take when arriving into EWR airport. Follow the signs! 01/14/24.

Dr. Ebeheakey...for inviting me to join you for breakfast during my emergency stay at Porcelana Residences in São Tomé. I'm sorry we couldn't chat for longer or meet up later in the south or at dinner! We'll reconnect another time hopefully. 01/09/24.

Haiyan...for becoming fast friends with us at the otherwise very weird and impersonal lounge in Malabo airport. Thank you for all you do for the UN and it was so nice to stay with you as long as we did. See you in DC! 01/13/24.

Mike Z...for keeping in touch ever since you reached out to me about visiting Mecca in Saudi Arabia 2 years ago. Wild we'd finally run into and meet each other in person at an art gallery in Douala, Cameroon of all places! Thank you for the kindness in sharing all your intel and the guides you found in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. When we'd end up again at the same hotel in both Douala and Malabo, it was meant to be we should travel again! See you in Central Africa! 01/11/24.

Vincent...for being one of those rare tour guides to go above and beyond (especially as a fellow Scorpio) in not only being efficient, focused, and intentional, but you also left enough room to be a true friend. We hope you really meant it when you said this has never happened to you before and we were you absolute favorites and best. 12/28/23.

Fadi, Serena, and Carmen...for stopping by at karaoke (during WAP of all songs) to get to know us on our last night in Damascus. Who knew Syrians could sing?! 09/25/23.

Qasim Al-Deri...for immediately asking if any of us knew Paris when we met you at a rest stop on our way to Bosra. Well look no further than 5 photos over to have you answer and you realize how small of a world it is. And then you came onboard our bus to deliver us free freshly baked bread! 09/24/23.

Ophelia...my maté in Syria. For being one of those rare kind of tour guides that became our friend. We can tell we'll be seeing you again; you're one of us now. 09/19/23.

Prashant Thakker...for becoming fast friends during our 3 days in Mogadishu. Thank you for introducing and referring us to Confidence Aguiyi for our upcoming roadtrip from Nigeria to Ghana! 05/25/23.

Mostafa...for joining Jess as the other half of our trip serendipity during the Jeju Airport morning debacle, and befriending our group so quickly over dinner and dessert before you had to leave for your rebooked flight home. 04/05/23.

Jess...for trusting your intuition in not only approaching Paul when you heard Americanized English at Jeju Airport about all our cancelled flights early in the morning but also jumping into one of our cars and joining our group for our extra 24-48 hours in Jeju. We had been wondering when serendipity would happen on this trip, and you came just in time to be that person! 04/05/23.

Sooyoung...for meeting us at the KTX Busan Station platform and helping us find our way to our accommodations, and ESPECIALLY finding us a clutch private bus and driver in Mr. Jung to take us all the way to Boseong at our own convenience without having to worry about waking up so early to get there by public transportation! Looking forward to seeing you back in NYC and good luck on your bar exam! 03/30/23.

Paris...for sharing both stories and trust. From sunrises to our long night drives in the boot, thank you for entrusting me as your hair stylist, personal doctor, pharmacist, physical therapist, whispering wall, consultant, confidante, and shoulder to lean on. Burkina Faso will always be synonymous with you. See you in South Korea. 02/02/23.

Stine...for remembering me after we first (and last!) met 11 years ago for only a few minutes on a bus tour to visit Tikal before Anna, Maria, and I had to dip early for a bus to Belize. Can't believe we've kept tabs on each other all these years without having reconnected in person and I'm glad you're finally in Oslo the same time I am! Thank you for showing us around your childhood spots, especially Ekebergparken, and we'll see you in the Faroe Islands! 06/17/22.

Michael and Briar...for letting us crash at your flat in The Angel area of London and taking us out at The Pig and the Butcher, even accommodating for last minute arrivals and bump-ins (like you, Yutong!) for one big happy travel family dinner. 05/27/22.

Borna and Megan...Borna for your enthusiasm in sailing us ever since we met you 3 months prior in Martinique, the expertise in guiding us through the Polynesian islands, and especially for being so excited for us when we won Regatta, and you Megan, for being the godsend chef we couldn't imagine that could exceed beyond the call of duty, I mean...you MADE BAGELS from SCRATCH for us! See you both in Greece 2023! 04/23/22.

Raad (bottom center)...for being, as you say "THE MF" of all MFs, and being one of the rare few to be more than a guide, but a friend. Happy to be shown around by you at the places that mean the most, and to take care of you when you needed the rest. See you again in Iraq. I'll be back. 03/10/22.

Linnea Hincks...for recognizing me out of the blue even with my mask on, at midnight in one of the most random least traveled airports in one of the currently least visited countries in the world. We haven't seen each other since back at our alma mater in your dorm room in 2009 -- 13 years ago! And of all the times to choose your R&R week, you would fly out at the same time as I would, on the same flight, sitting in the same row. WHAT ARE THE ODDS? WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?! 02/03/22.

DJ Alex EBS...for recognizing my TYW attire at FDF airport and joining us later in PTP for drinks and dinner after our flight together! 01/10/22.

Brian, Marta and your children Bianca and Shamus...for last minute taking up an equally last minute offer to rescue our trip the day of departure when everyone else but you two tested negative on PCRs for COVID-19. You then took us out on the waters to Martinique and St. Lucia as you treated us like family. The week became a dream come true because of you two and we look forward to sailing with you again. 01/03/22.

Our new group of local friends at Cerros Verde National Park, namely Gladis and Valeria...for quickly chatting with us at the park when we arrived, after which we joined together as a bigger group on our 30 minute hike to see the views over Lake Coatepeque. Keep in touch on social media! 11/21/21.

Lorena...for not being our stalwart driver the past 3 days around El Salvador, but also gradually becoming our friend and making sure we'd visit everywhere we wanted to see and eat. 11/19/21.

Adriana (and your sister Rose!)...for first following me on Instagram during the pandemic after which you reached out at the last minute when finding out I was visiting your home city of San Salvador! Thank you for coming out, your dinner recommendations at Plaza Futura, and for bringing along your sister Rose for hookah and drinks at Vanilla Lounge afterwards. See you when you move to California! 11/19/21.

Jazzie (and your friend Maram!)...for following me as a total stranger since the pandemic began from your home away from home in Jeddah, and continuing to follow me until you reached out of the blue how you noticed I was in your city of Jeddah the moment I posted on my IG stories. You then came out just to say hi in person after which we had a kind of conversation more meaningful than most: Maktoub. See you in LA or NYC! 10/13/21.

Salwa, Mohammed, Abdulaziz, and Yazan...for showing us the changed Saudi Arabia, one especially where newly empowered women run their own tour companies (and drive us around in their own cars!) and expressing a sense of earnest and genuine open-mindedness that the media never would tell you about. Things really have changed. Things really are changing. Thank you for being that change. 10/09/21.

Umbi...for not only being a "pretty reasonable" skipper you were o captain, our captain. On the first day you had asked us to treat you as a friend by the end of the trip; you definitely made that very easy for us. See you in St. Lucia & Martinique! 09/04/21.

Casey, Vanessa, Katie...for being our wonderful hostesses that ensured we were well fed, well taken care of, and well looked after. The body shots and free massages made it hard to choose favorites, so we choose you all. 09/04/21.

Vibhu...for making sure we'd meet up when we discovered last minute we would overlap in Porto for less than hour before you had to make your train (it's always a train with these things, isn't it?). This run-in was less than 45 minutes but it would be the best beginning to Porto and its saudade. To think we had only met in person for the first time 25 days prior and joked then "we'd probably run into each other again in our travels," who would've thought the universe would make sure it would happen so soon? 07/15/21.

Bruno (and Neuza from Pé Direito Hostel for recommending him at the last minute!)...for 2 splendid days showing us around your homeland of São Miguel and The Azores, from the history to current events, zombie lore, and even our impromptu final picnic at the marketplace before you sent us off to the airport. See you back here for some island hopping! 07/10/21.

Jinny and Maggie...for immediatelty rebooking a previously cancelled trip to Portugal just to join us only 3 hours after we landed in Lisbon! Loved dinner, rooftop drinks, pasteis de nata and morning after breakfast where we got deep on relationships. We ALMOST joined you in Porto, but only after you ALMOST joined us for Belfanco 😉 07/08/21.

Savas...for responding to a last minute request to visit Varosha so quickly within a 12 hour turnaround after our own failed attempt the day prior; your kindness, patience, flexibility, and expertise went above and beyond. It now feels we were not supposed to cross the border ourselves but rather meet you and Ali to take us yourself; 'twas meant to be once again! 06/12/21.

Juju...for coming up to chat with me as I waited for the rest of my group to cross the Ledra Street border in Nicosia, and as you were filming your timelapse for your school project. Found out we're both extremely similar and if anything the hiccup that had led to the wait felt like we were meant to meet. See you in Côte d'Ivoire! 06/09/21.

Panos...for not only taking down a reservation when I stopped at your restaurant Ithaki Garden in Larnaca, but also sending me via IG so many great recommendations for all of Cyprus afterwards. I need to come back just to see all the things I didn't have time for on this trip thanks to you! 06/07/13.

Kelly & Dylan...for your hawkeyes and quick hollers as you noticed on my IG stories when I got off at Saint Croix, and then to meet me in person 2 days later right before I left! It was so wonderful to meet you both as short as our meeting was, and getting to know what it's like to live and work on Saint Croix. Thank you for the dolphin poop Dylan and let me know whenver you're ready to experience what snow is up in the mainland! 05/02/21.

Edna...for following The Monsoon Diaries since the early days and the serendipity of meeting each other in person on the California Zephyr. Thank you for the conversations, mutual feedback, and helping us create a space where we can confirm that in-person conversations and what strangers can find in common is everything. 08/27/20.

Brad...our legendary train conductor when you randomly approached our group at Glenwood Springs, CO and asked if you could steal one of us to participate in an impromptu outdoor concert as the train tracks were being repaired. We even went out to retrieve your guitar you had bought on the spot, and we would soon enough end up on national news for the feel-good story we were all able to pull off together. And then as we continued through the Colorado Rockies at night, you let us scream underneath the stars. 08/26/20.

Crosby...for being our best train buddy we could ask for as the moment you said hello you pretty much became part of our group on the California Zephyr. We'll never forget when we went out and got food for the train car during the 10 minutes we had at Colorado Springs, let alone the guitar for Brad at Glenwood Springs. See you back in NYC! 08/25/20.

Mel...for being our train guardian angel with all your stories, generosity, humor, kindness, and even your kickass work music while you put up with all our onboard shenanigans. 08/25/20.

Nicole...for meeting me even if it was just a morning in LA as we caught up over life since we last saw each other at a coffee shop in NYC. Our screenplay has yet to be written. 08/24/20.

My LA welcoming committee (Everett, Charlotte, Pier, Tamara, monsooners Ted, Andy, Siavash)...for being the best welcoming committee I could ever ask for as you braved your second lockdown to come out and say hi, even if it was just a few hours. This meant the world to us. 08/23/20.

Anita...for driving all the way from Seattle to meet up with us at Cannon Beach in Oregon and getting me to sign a legit poster you printed out of me! 08/20/20.

William...for driving with us all the way through Olympic National Park from Port Angeles to Westport and finally joining me on one of my trips ever since you first asked when we were both medical students at SUNY Downstate more than 6 years ago. 08/19/20.

Angela...for reaching out via Instagram just to drive over an hour to say hi to me during my 2 days in Seattle and in the middle of my cross-country road trip! See you at the NYC Marathon! 08/18/2020.

Spencer...for first introducing us to Daniel Reesman as a monsooner since 2019 via Melissa Weinmann's stories of our travels and yet you still haven't gone on one yourself, but yet became part of the story anyway by hosting us for outdoor dinner and drinks when we arrived to Seattle. See you in Antarctica! 08/18/20.

Suhrid and Pooja...for dropping by so randomly and serendipitously as we arrived into Glacier National Park, and convincing us to partake in a phenomenally good outdoor BBQ where we would've otherwise resorted to the lameness of another take-out operation. Just like when we first met back in Iceland, you're always full of good ideas Suhrid. 08/15/20.

Rachel (and your husband Chris!)...for randomly reaching out 12 days ago via Instagram just to meet up in NYC for the first time, after which we met up again today near your hometown on our very first day of our road trip across USA! Congratulations on your new home and we'll see you in Cyprus! 08/08/2020.

Crystal...for opening up as you did to me during our 10 days in Algeria, allowing me to help you navigate through all the trials and tribulations that brought you to Algeria so you can bare your soul to a complete stranger. You even went ahead and extended your trip at the last minute, with a return to your first country of Morocco and showing us how much this trip meant to you. Maktoub. 01/04/20.

Omar...for being more than just a guide, but also a calm, steady presence and friend throughout our 10 day stay in Algeria. 01/04/20.

Badry...for being a true friend in the little time we had together as you invited us to your home in the White Desert. We will never forget our night together under the stars. 12/06/19.

Ahmed...for showing us a Luxor that we'd love by being a good man and friend to us. When you said "I'll miss you all!" as you sent us off in our cabs, that hit me hard. 12/03/19.

Priyanka...for meeting us on our shared van trip to Abu Simbel and then running into us again on both our last days in Cairo one week later, as if our shared favorite word "serendipity" couldn't have made this travel life more obvious. 12/01/19.

Mostofa...for this: “I have never met a group like this in 10 years. Everyone is smiling, everyone is joking. And they have good qualities also. Really really they are very cheerful. Seldom I see this. You can find everything good in their personalities. Really. They have clear hearts.” 11/30/19.

The crew and especially the galley staff of the m/v Hondius + Ana...for the only people who kept dancing with us outside under the aurora borealis after the BBQ. 09/20/19.

Janys...for slyly confusing me for "someone that looked familiar" just so we could be fast friends on a ship filled with people more than 30 years our senior. We almost had you at flat earth. See you in Oregon! 09/18/19.

Keseena...for joining us in Mauritius at our first night and reminding me why I travel. Our story last March ranks as one of the most magical out there and I will never forget our 2 days in Bratislava and Budapest. Here I am finally in your home of Mauritius, 16 months after I made you that promise. 08/30/19.

Celine, referred to me by your sister Emily back in NYC...for being our best first impression of Mauritius by not only stopping by an apartment filled with people you've never met, but also bringing a huge chocolate mud cake for birthday boy Evan, taking us out for dinner at Caudan Waterfront, and then dancing with us at our first night out of the trip at the Hennessy Park Hotel! Don't tell Emily but I might have a hard time choosing favorites! 08/30/19.

Duaa Awabed...for as high as you were at the time, you immediately befriended me the moment I checked into our Madagascar Underground hostel in Antananavrino, not only agreeing to meet us in Morondava the next day after your 14 hour bus ride, but also at the last minute (and as impossible it had seemed!) join us for the rest of our trip for the next 4 days through Seychelles. Despite obstacles on flight insurance, ticket availabilities, and general dynamics of joining a travel group in the middle of a trip, the efforts to "go as far as we can because we'd regret everything otherwise" cleared all these obstacles and you proved yourself a worthy companion and essentially yourself as the travel clone of what I do. Your stories embody all that most of us search for in our travels. See you in your hometown of Baghdad, see in you in your current home in Dubai, see you in your next home in Socotra Island. Because after all, "home is where the heart is." 08/23/19.

Tamy...for randomly sitting next to me on the floor of the hostel while I was playing some music and striking up a quick conversation. Within 15 minutes you joined us for dinner and drinks as if you were part of our group of monsooners all along. Although we had to cut our time short and say goodbye before our midnight flight to Kilimanjaro, we're planning to see you soon in either the Seychelles or Madrid! 08/19/19.

Tom...for befriending us immediately on our first night in Kigali, Rwanda, and our spirited conversation afterwards on sustainable travel and volunteering. Because of you we chose to visit Uganda the next morning instead of taking it easy in Kigali, adding another country and unique travel experience to our list. See you in Kampala! 07/02/19.

Samira...for befriending Ambrose while you two were doing laundry together at our lodging in Rove City Centre in Dubai. Despite knowing none of us, you would join our group for breakfast and then a memorable night out for my last night in Dubai before I headed onwards to Afghanistan. See you in Beirut! 06/24/19.

Sean & Chelsea...for literally making our trip to the UAE work; Chelsea by offering your car, Sean for showing us around, and both being our fantastic hosts despite during one of the most dreary and hottest months of the year. You came out to make sure we would love not just the UAE, but *your* UAE and we will never forget your cheerfulness and hospitality. Looking forward to seeing you everytime we layover in Dubai! 06/24/19.

Zoe...for befriending randomly while sitting next to me on our flight from Manchester to the Isle of Man. I don't usually make friends with seatmates on flights, but when I do, we stay in touch. Thanks for all the pro tips on the Isle of Man as well on your native Northern Ireland; it seems your presence was designed for our very itinerary! 05/27/19.

Yan & Cherry...for messaging me randomly on one of my Instagram stories 1 week ago which eventually led me to realize you'd be in Amsterdam around the same time I needed a layover from Pakistan before returning home. Your happenstance became opportunity as Anthony would open up his doors to host me that night, and Rik & Selma would be there to catch up as well. And so a simple layover became another night we'd never forget. 03/19/19.

Ali's family...for being the best hosts we could ever have hoped for, with your incomparable hospitality during Ali's epic wedding celebrations. You truly exemplified the notion of "Guest Is God" as that is how you made us all feel. 03/12/19.

Ali's friends...for your patience as you taught a handful of strangers all the choreography we had to learn in a mere few hours up to 3am in the morning, aka the night before the mehndi! 03/12/19.

Imran...for taking us in as your family as you guided us all around Pakistan at our leisure, pushing your own limits and going above and beyond in making sure we were all safe, comfortable, and most of all, happy, during our entire stay. Thank you as well for introducing us to your cousin Tahir when we spent a day in your hometown of Murree in Kashmir and making it just so much harder to leave your wonderful home. 03/12/19.

Emily, Eugene, Christanto, Amy, and Jen...for exemplifying why you would be Ali's closest friends and the true chosen ones to attend his wedding as we had the privilege of getting to know you all during the handful of days we had together in Pakistan. From learning last-minute choreography for the Mehndi to our epic 36 hour trip to Lahore, we definitely pushed ourselves to the limits together and made Pakistan a trip we'd never forget. 03/12/19.

Joubran...for offering up your table to us (and our hookahs!) while at Szimpla Kert in Budapest, after which you quickly befriended us over your expertise in conflict management. The spark was there, and we knew we would run into each other again. See you in Palestine! 01/20/19.

Aia...for befriending Ann while on your flights to Prague, after which you quickly joined the group for a whole day of sightseeing, walking, drinking, eating, shisha'ing, and deep conversations ... essentially you became one of us! See you in Almaty! 01/17/2019.

Susanna and your family and friends...for your hospitality in showing us around your Karabakh and as a survivor who had every reason in the world to find refuge in safer lands, you instead carry on with defiance. I only hope we may channel a similar sense of strength and bravery of the people living here, and confront that possible future for us with the same kind of fortitude and grace that you have shown us the past 2 days. 11/16/18.

Brandon...for befriending us as the other fellow American on our tour to Dilijan. You heard Fanny yell "ASSHAT" and knew we were of your ilk. Thanks for joining us for hot pot afterwards and see you in South Dakota! 11/14/18.

Sandie...for following my blog since the early days and staying in touch. We had last conversed in 3 months ago where I left off with "it'll happen when it happens" regarding to finally meeting each other. Then, on our bus ride back from Dilijan I was scrolling through my IG feed and saw that you too, were also in Armenia -- who would've knew! And within 2 hours of that discovery, we would finally meet for the first time in person. Somethings are really meant to be! 11/14/18.

Anzhelika...for taking us out to dinner at a local Syrian restaurant in Yerevan, where you opened up to us about your childhood growing up in Artsakh and discussed with us your poignant views of the international conflict in this region. 11/13/18.

The random crew we kidnapped from both Hostel Mallika in Hiroshima: Billy, Luke, Camilla, Amy, and Natasha...for first joining me on one of the most discombobulated nights out I've had in a while to then changing your entire Japan itinerary to join us later on in Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo! Billy and Luke: you are my brothers from another mother. 9/7/18.

Camilla...for saying yes to Amy and Natasha when they asked if you wanted to join us in Hiroshima for a night out, no matter how tired you were after your flight from Australia. You just happened to be Brazilian, with Portuguese as your native tongue, just to be at the right place at the right time when you knew the meaning to "saudade", one of my favorite words (which just conveniently happens to be Portuguese). You would join us later on in Kyoto for the tea ceremony and then again in Tokyo, the very city where one of my favorite movies was filmed, thus bringing my childhood full circle by in turn showing and teaching me what "saudade" really means in Tokyo. Magic. 9/7/18

Fuad...for being one of the best guides we could ask for as you were able to cram 2 big tours into one day, in true monsoon style, with a bundle of energy that can power the entire country of Azerbaijan. 08/26/18.

Etibar and your entire family...for showing us around your Baku and then taking us for a perfect first night out listening to jazz under the stars over tea and shisha. 08/25/18.

Nigar...my friend and colleague from residency, for not only introducing me to your cousin Etibar here but also staying a day later just to surprise me in the flesh and show us around your motherland! You certainly had me fooled. Thank you for staying out as long as you did and I'll see you back in NYC! 08/25/18.

Anya...for what started out as standard polite hostel breakfast introductions turn into a day-long adventure around Baku talking about everything we could in the limited time frame we had before you had to catch your train to Georgia. We let the universe guide us, from waiting out the cultural center you've always wanted to see to quiet strolls in the old city, we talked about everything including languages, travel, trauma, love, relationships, self-actualization, and all the little jokes in between. See you again at Salar de Uyuni or perhaps NYC! 08/25/18.

Talal...for 2 days of adventure through the best parts of Oman: Wadi Bani Khalid, Qaboos Mosque, and Wahiba Sands. You went above and beyond in not being our guide and driver, but also our friend. From karaoke in the car, to keeping us awake, to teaching us Omani history and bedouin life, you made sure we were comfortable and entertained throughout our experience, especially while you were fasting the whole time for Ramadan. You're our first choice when it comes to returning to Oman and we look forward to seeing you again. 06/02/18.