Cool people I've met

Sarah had just finished a field study on conservation biology in New Zealand and Australia and was on her way home to Minnesota when I met her in LAX. We were both waiting to board the flight to Chicago when they announced they overbooked the plane and were looking for volunteers to give up their seat for a $300 travel voucher and a guaranteed seat for the next flight out. Of course I volunteered. That's when we also met Leah. She was heading home to Ottawa. The three of us started talking when we saw Jerry frustrated and exhausted from traveling, talking to the airline attendants. He was a furniture dealer that distributes around the world and a former armed forces service man. He had been pushed back for over 14 hours, spent the night in LAX and still had no flight home. He was in surprisingly good spirits and entertained the three of us with his travel stories from around the world. The four of us were sitting on the floor of the airport waiting for our next flight chewing the fat, listening to Jerry's stories. It was great!

Sonya, Ryan and friends. They were the first ones I approached to help me with my double dutch photo journal. I saw them dancing in front of a cool fiddling/bluesy band and knew that if they were cool enough to dance, they'd be down with helping me out. They were really friendly.


I met Lisa through couchsurfing.org. This was my first real experience couch surfing someone else's couch. She was great and really hospitable. We went to Lou Malnati's for some Chicago deep dish pizza. She showed me around town then got some drinks and cheese cake in the Signature Room up the John Hancock Center.


I went to the Weiner's Circle in Chicago anticipating brutally harsh treatment. I walked up and to my disappointment, no one was there. So I order a hot dog and a drink, sit outside and there was Eric, Jory, and Annie. Eric asked Jory, "Do you want me to yell at her?" I interjected, "Yes!" This video ensued shortly thereafter as the lady behind the desk was making fun of Annie for riding a scooter:

I met Joshua as I was traveling on the train to Grand Rapids. He recently graduated from Indiana in music composition and now freelanced as a pianist and composer. He felt he hit a ceiling in Chicago so he decided to pick up and move to New York City and here I met him in the middle of his transition.

The Cooley Law Students were a riot! I couldn't believe how much they went out and partied but it was fun and highly entertaining. They definitely party as hard as they study. The latter I'm assuming they study as hard as they play. Great people, fun times.


Jennifer was the best traveling stranger I had the privilege of sitting next to. She sat next to me for most of the four hour train ride from Chicago to Grand Rapids. She had a delightful laugh and was making fun of herself the whole time. She was on the phone most of the time talking to her mother and then daughter, then between conversations she would tell me about Michigan and the Midwest. She was delightful company.

Aaron & JB New Chicago Cub recuits their friend Caitlin that I met at in Grand Rapids while hanging out late one night. Really funny guys.

Blake and Brandon helped me out with my double dutch photo journal. They had just dropped off Blake's mom off at work and were playing on some swings in downtown Grand Rapids when I approached them about helping me out. Blake loved the ropes!