Chance Encounters...

Back in 2000, I was stranded in the Dallas airport because the airport windsock was standing out horizontally from its mast. They shut DFW down every time I fly through just to make me crazy. Walking the interminable length of the terminal, looking for something, anything, to eat, I saw a girl with a McDonald's bag. I walked over and asked where I could find McDonald's. When she started speaking, I realized two things: she was from some other country and she was obviously smarter than me because she'd mastered two languages. She pointed me in the direction of the restaurant. I said thank you and went off to exchange far too much cash for a Quarter Pounder with cheese and fries. Facing what would likely be a long, boring stretch in the terminal, I went dragging back in the direction from which I'd come. I staked out a spot, ate my dinner and waited patiently for confirmation that I would be spending the duration of the night on a cot, under fluorescent lights with commercial vacuums roaring around me. About 10PM, they lured us all into a line with the promise of a free night in a hotel. I found myself standing just in front of the girl with the McDonald's bag and just behind two friendly but very tired older ladies. I struck up a conversation with the girl while the ladies casually listened. Turns out she was from Poland. She'd spent the summer before working in Yellowstone where she'd met a man and fallen in love. He lived in Utah and she was traveling from her home in Poland with nothing but a wedding dress, a few clothes and a treasured pencil sketch rolled into a mailing tube. She wasn't much younger than me but she struck me as bold and adventurous and VERY interesting. The hotel thing didn't pan out so all four of us got in the next most promising line for a cot. We all scored cots and I suggested we go down to the bar for a few drinks. The ladies declined but offered to watch or things. Agata and I went to the bar. We sat up most of the night talking and drinking beer. We talked about Poland and people and life and boyfriends and friendship. Finally we found our cots and tried to sleep. The next day the airport slowly began sending planes skyward again and we both boarded for SLC. When we arrived, Agata and I ran into each other again in baggage claim and her boyfriend, soon to be husband, offered to drive me to my destination. I declined as I already had a shuttle. In our brief meeting I liked him. I thought they'd be happy together. We exchanged email addresses and they were gone. I've never seen Agata again. We exchange email occasionally and Christmas cards every year. She and her husband are now living in Yellowstone and she has a new baby.

Sometimes people brush you off when you ask them to do something random. Sometimes they don't. When they don't you've met someone interesting. They always have good stories to share and you'll likely think about them for years afterward. This was true of my night at DFW with Agata.

Wednesday evening I clicked on my link to the Habesha Child blog and learned that Elsa's mom was in Austin visiting her sister for a few days. She'd just posted some great pictures of one of my favorite Texas BBQ haunts. Anybody who loves Rudy's Country Store has got to be my kind of person. I decided to write and see if she'd be interested in meeting for coffee. Asked to do something random, she responded enthusiastically and we set up a date for the next morning. Ken did think I was nuts. He's kinda wonderful that way. :) Tolido and I pulled into the parking lot and found two lovely ladies waiting to hug us. :) We went inside, grabbed a table and some coffee and hit if off immediately. We never stopped talking and laughing. Elsa's mom has adopted a little girl, Elsa, from Ethiopia who is about Tolido's age. She has traveled extensively in Ethiopia and was a wealth of information, stories and good advice. We'll definitely be talking again as our travel date gets closer. Tolido, little friendly thing that he is, seemed quite excited to have new friends to impress and found lots of common ground in playfulness. Should I never run into Elsa's mom or Elsa's mom's sister again, I will remember our chance meeting fondly. They were both very interesting, intelligent, warm, animated, and generous with their limited time together. I'm thrilled at having had the chance to meet both. I look forward to a time we'll see each other again and get to meet the darling Princess Elsa.