Hello Goodbye
This week, I am taking a small break from my typical post to focus on some of the interpersonal interactions we have experienced thus far. Prior to setting out on this trip, we made several family goals. Some involve epic hikes or learning more about the plants and animals we may encounter. Others focus on getting to know the cities and communities will be a part of, even if briefly.
The goal hitting home for me today is the one we made around social interaction. In an increasingly digital age, it seems that face to face conversation is becoming a lost art. The idea that one should know their neighbors and communities is being lost to the ease and convenience of social media, remote jobs, online schooling and a focus on global communication. Maintaining interpersonal relationships has drastically changed over the past 20 years. While I might be able to communicate with friends across the world, email just feels less personal. I can keep up with someone’s life via social media but building and maintaining strong relationships can be difficult and at times impossible without the non-verbal pieces of communication that only happen in-person.
As humans, I believe that we need this face to face communication for our base happiness. We are emotional beings, and we need to connect with other humans in this way. Our brains are programmed to crave this type of interaction. So much so that research is finding limited face to face social interaction nearly doubles someone’s risk of depression.
With this in mind, a goal we set for ourselves is to meet someone, get to know them, have some “real” conversations in each town we move to. While it will certainly take me out of my comfort zone, I want to get to know people from all over this country and have some vulnerable moments together. Understanding others who have had vastly different experiences can help me inherit a bit of wisdom and knowledge along with being more empathetic and leading with kindness (something I think our world needs A LOT more of). Even if I might only know that person for a few weeks, I know they have something to teach me and a story to share. I like to believe we mostly all want and need the same things, we might just have different ways of getting there.
For our kids, I think this social interaction is critical to their development. Learning how to communicate with other kids, share toys, and settle disputes all help teach children social queues and different ways to deal with different personality types. In a more traditional setting, kids have these interactions in day care or school – something our children don't participate in since we are constantly on the road. It seems that if my kids see me going out of my way to meet new people, start conversations about life on the road, and generally get to know “strangers,” they clearly feel more confident to do the same. Strangers are after all friends we just haven't gotten to know yet!
Personally, it feels like I have met a wide range of very interesting people so far on this journey. From families who are on a similar journey, to retired couples who want to adopt my children as pseudo-grandchildren, to teenagers who work at the campsites and think we are truly living the “New American Dream.” I have met folks who have long and storied pasts with the town they live in; local celebrities if you will, who have never ventured more than 50 miles from the house they grew up in. In all these interactions with people who are vastly different than me, the recurring theme is this: people want to be happy. If you treat them with kindness, and lead with open ears, it’s hard to find a bad apple out there.
As we pack up to move on to another incredible park, I am also fining these interactions sad. Finding and making new friends makes leaving each town difficult. Even though the amount of time spent with these friends is small, the impact is far reaching. As Juliet said, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”
How to stay in touch with all of these new friends? Thank goodness for social media and the digital age! :)
