What 6,000 Strangers Reminded Me

We’re back from Alaska with full camera rolls, wonderful family memories, a newfound appreciation for elastic waistbands...and one unexpected takeaway.

Our cruise ship carried nearly 6,000 people from all over the world. Different countries. Different ethnicities. Different religions. Different political views. Different generations.

But for one week, none of that seemed to matter.

People admired the majestic views together, held elevators, laughed over trivia games, swapped travel stories, and paused shoulder to shoulder on deck in awe as whales surfaced.

Complete strangers became familiar faces by the end of the week. It felt like a little international village.

There was something refreshing about it. No one seemed interested in how someone voted or what they believed. Instead, conversations started with questions like, "Where are you traveling from?" or "Have you seen the glacier yet?" We were just a ship full of people sharing a similar adventure.

It reminded me that we're far more alike than we realize—and that kindness has a way of obscuring the labels we give one another.

As I thought about it on the flight home, I realized that's probably one of the reasons I write the stories I do. My characters may come from different backgrounds, carry different regrets, or find themselves at different stages of life, but underneath it all, they're searching for many of the same things we all are: belonging, forgiveness, hope, second chances, and people to share life's joys and hardships with.

Maybe that's why I love writing stories set in small towns, where people choose to see one another as neighbors before anything else.

Whether it was the fresh mountain air, the breathtaking scenery, or the fact that we were all a long way from our everyday routines, I came home feeling a little lighter... and more convinced than ever that stories have a way of reminding us what we have in common.

I hope that feeling stays with me for a while.

Wishing you happy reading,

Shail