It was already dark when Katherine Dupree and her father arrived in the northwestern Turkish city of Çanakkale after an accident in their rental car while on vacation in 2006. As they were driving around the city, futilely searching for directions to their hotel (this was long before there were reliable mapping apps like Waze), Dupree's father spotted a man walking his dog and asked for help.
“He somehow told us he had to get the dog home and then he could show us the way,” said Dupree, now 51 and living in Los Angeles.
The man did indeed signal them to follow him to his house, then he strapped down the dog, got into his car, and led them for miles through city streets, gleefully pointing out the window to the hotel before disappearing into the night.
“Our confusion turned to disbelief and then to gratitude,” Dupree said of the experience. “My father passed away in 2020, but he always wished he could have thanked this man for his help.”
As we head into summer travel, it's easy to get caught up in the frustrations that come with another potentially hot, crowded, and stormy season — and, sure, there will be flight delays, crowded attractions, and unavoidable inconveniences — but it's also an opportunity to reflect on what's best for us while we're exploring the world: the kindness of strangers.
Late last year, we asked you to share the most memorable acts of kindness you experienced while traveling. Your stories remind us that sometimes the most memorable and enjoyable parts of traveling come from the most difficult moments.
Surprise Birthday Cake in Milan
When Clark Peters was in his early 20s, he and a college friend were backpacking through Europe when disaster struck. They woke up on an overnight train in Italy to find that their cash, checks, Eurail tickets, and the friend's passport had been stolen. To make matters worse, it was Peters' birthday. The two friends got off the train in Milan and got ready, first going to the U.S. Consulate to get their passports reissued, then to an American Express office to get the stolen traveler's checks reissued. There, they met a family from Ohio, Peters' home state, whose daughter was studying in Milan.
“They urged us to stay, treated us to a delicious home-cooked meal and surprised me with birthday cake,” recalled Peters, who is now 58 and lives in Columbus, Missouri. “That day went from a disaster to the best experience of our trip, and I will never forget the family's immeasurable generosity.”
Popcorn making in Patagonia
Plans often go awry, but sometimes the lack of proper planning can lead to surprisingly fun results. A few years ago, Carolyn Rose Friedman was hitchhiking through Patagonia from Chile to Argentina. Patagonia's national parks are connected by a non-integrated border, with the border facilities of each country being about 20 miles apart. Although some pandemic restrictions were still in place and the number of vehicles allowed to cross the border was severely limited, Friedman, who was traveling with a group of women, managed to get in a truck and cross the border. However, when the truck stopped just before the border on the Argentine side, the driver asked the hitchhikers to get out of the car. After waiting for two hours, the women finally got their passports stamped and crossed into Argentina, where they faced another hurdle.
“We were ill-prepared and exhausted, and we didn't expect to have to find someone to take us to the nearest town, 15 kilometers from the border,” says Friedman, who is now 25 and lives in Bogotá, Colombia. As they were carrying their heavy packs, they spotted a car hidden in the woods a short distance from the road. They detoured to check it out, and stumbled upon a family gathering to celebrate their granddaughter's fifth birthday. After hearing their pleas for help, the family offered them a ride if they would stay for the duration of the celebration.
“We got out the camping stove, made popcorn for the birthday girl, drank yerba mate, and over the next few hours formed a beautiful, unexpected friendship despite not speaking three languages,” she said. “If I had done my research, I would never have met these women.”
Simple acts have a big impact
Sometimes it's the simplest of acts that can turn a travel nightmare into a fond memory. A few years ago, Brianna Boston, 42, was returning home from a family trip with her husband and three young sons when they stopped for a meal in Lakeland, Florida. The kids were tired, hungry and misbehaving. When an older woman approached, Boston, who lives in Central Florida, prepared herself for some nasty comments or worse.
“Instead, she gently patted me on the arm and said, 'The days are long but the years are short when you raise kids. Enjoy this time while your kids are young and don't worry about what other people think. You are doing a great thing.'” Boston teared up. “I will never forget her kind words,” she said.
Roadside Assistance
Of course, going out of your way to be kind to others comes with its own rewards. But sometimes, those good deeds can lead to even more benefits. Yana Mikhailka, 39, was driving back from a winter hike in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park in California when people in cars parked on the side of the road waved to her. Thinking they needed help, she pulled over.
“It was snowing and we thought their car had broken down,” says Mikhailka, who lives in Paris. “But it turned out this amazing family had made too many tamales and wanted to share with us! It was so touching and amazing.”
