Last night I met up with Ben and Josh who T and I met on our South American trip in 2002. Believe it or not, they live just down the road from Janelle. Not just in the same huge country that I happen to be in. Or the same town, which would be a coincidence in itself. But in the same hood. It really is a small world. Either that or the powers that be that conspired to make this trip possible (I'm thinking timely redundancy, free business class flights, key friends in key places, etc), intervened yet again. T got on so well with Ben and Josh on every level, from music to outlook on life, that it wouldn't surprise me if he, or these mysterious powers that be, conspired to make it possible for me to meet up with them. This is such a surreal trip in many ways. I feel like I'm unwittingly on a Tim trip that has been specially tailored for Sarah. But it's still a Tim trip. It's like fate, man. I was meant to come on this trip and I was meant to meet up with the people I've been able to meet up with in order to get something from those experiences that will somehow help me.
Anyway, T and I have only seen the boys once since Peru, when they lived in London, and that was a good few years ago now. But seeing them again last night it was as if I only saw them yesterday. And that is such a good feeling. We were only together for a few days, let's say a week, in South America. (We met on a bus in Pisco, got off somewhere and did some sand-boarding, got a ride in a random Dodge to Nazca - a very surreal journey - then celebrated T's birthday together before our early morning plane ride above the Nazca Lines. We then went our separate ways, met again on the Inca Trail and had a drunken night out or two in Cusco afterwards before we said our goodbyes once again. In La Paz we met Ben and Josh's sister Amber and had another random night in an Italian restaurant and that was it.)
From meeting Ben and Josh again, I'm truly amazed at how much you get to know people in a short space of time and how much you can remember from 8 years ago when you engage your brain. Although we've never been close friends, never spent much time together and haven't really kept in touch over the years, it really didn't matter. It felt so normal to see them again and it didn't matter that we didn't know the minutiae of each other's lives over the past 8 years. In fact, maybe it was better that way, as it meant we just caught up on the highlights rather than the mundane. So we shared recent news. And we did lots of reminiscing about the short time we spent together in South America. Reminding each other of things the others may have forgotten. I really can't remember dancing to Rock DJ in the Mama Africa nightclub in Cusco for example. It doesn't surprise me a) that I was dancing to Rock DJ, b) that I can't remember it, especially given it was probably about 2am and I'd no doubt had a skinful, and c) because it was 8 whole years ago, but it's nice that someone I was with that night can remember it and can remind me of it.
It's so hard being without the person who has been at your side for the past 13 years for so many reasons. But one of those reasons is not having anyone to talk about your shared experiences with. Either experiences that you both remember and can re-live together, or experiences that one of you may have forgotten but the other person can provide the prompts to help jog your memory. That's one thing I really value about this trip. And one of the things that has made it possible for me to embark on this journey. Although I've gone it alone in lots of ways, I've never been on my own. And this trip will be the bond that ties all the people I've met on this trip, both old and new, together forever. I could meet people from the Flying Kiwi trip in 10 years time and we'd still be able to talk about our adventures, have a laugh, remind each other of the crazy time we spent together. The same applies to the old friends I've met along the way. This is just another connection that we'll always have. OK, some of the detail may get a bit fuzzy, but the chances are, as last night proved, one of you will remember some random and completely unimportant detail that the other has forgotten so that between you, you will be able to fill in the gaps and complete the memory. And remember. And smile.
(Sorry about the random paragraph formatting on this one. I'm over trying to fix it)
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Kinda wishing I hadnt logged onto your beautifully written and amazingly insightful blog whilst sitting randomly in a Costa in Perth (unfortunately Scotland not Oz!) as now fiercely trying to fight back the tears! It is unbelievable how your trip has worked out, fate for sure xx
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