Friendship Corner

You did the world a favor. I’m standing at the stairs trying to transfer my possessions from my temporary bed to my regular personalized bed in the dormitory. You’re famous now. Seems you told some guys this morning to shut up. I’m laughing. They woke me up, I wasn’t even present, blurting out to them to be quiet. He’s serious. My neighbor for the same sleeping arrangement, nodding, shyly, smiling at me. A rock is dropping from my heart as I was afraid to have overstepped when one of the guys raises his voice against me: you have to be polite do you know what time it is? Obviously I don’t, idiot because you just disturbed my sleep. So apparently they have gone directly to complain to the rest of the people who apparently took my side without even haven spoken to me. Four days already again. My half-hearted attempt to leave yesterday, failing miserably within only seconds when I leave the hostel fully packed, the heavy metal door closing behind me. I walk five steps, sink down on a bench and can’t seem to find the right impulse to go to the station. A chaotic back and forth with the young German boy wanting to follow me, yet totally oblivious to the trip. A lesson for him and me.

I call the one person I need to speak to in the confusion of the moment although I barely know her. Turns out she’s exactly the one I needed to speak to. Saying the right words to me to follow my heart, at the same offering me to spend time with her. Seeing her only one time for a few moments, four days earlier when I return to my home base, was enough to know that I wanted to get to know her. Her kindness, humbleness and open hearted laughter, so contagious, her all body language, so connected, so aware. I feel attracted, drawn to her liberating energy instantaneously. 

That day once again a reminder of where I will always find home. Returning the staff is hugging me, reassuring me that I can always leave my things with them, I wouldn’t have to worry about it at any given moment. The eyes of the young Latvian woman that I haven’t paid enough attention to all the times before, I now realize how she’s talking to me like a friend, like she cares, like she wants me around. 

My heart warming up when I enter the room creating a circle of friends within seconds. The curtain of one bed opens. Dejavu. Like a few weeks ago in my other home full of friends. A familiar face looking at me, starting to laugh. We’ve met before. Another German boy walking inside, arriving the same, followed by another one who had already taken me over the second I entered together with the Spaniard. The group is expanding, the conversations and laughter growing. A large synchronizing wave moving through the dorm. Unfortunately she is leaving, leaving to that place that was recommended to me by the ones who know me best around here, yet to be explored. 

I settle, the energies again moving around. People I had met, people I run into, from the days and weeks before, reuniting around me, my ideas about my future stabilized by the community offering skills and support, sitting with me, finding the exact same excitement for my life that I feel evolving all around this country, each time being awestruck when people mirror me the connections I’ve formed in gratitude. Look at this happy dude, he kept saying: “Lina was right, Lina was right.” People finding their places for my recommendations is what I love, seeing more travelers satisfied, leaving this country having the best possible experience. People asking me to join their projects. With each person loving this country like I do, I become more content. We need you.

I’d marry you. You’re such a beautiful woman. You’re so sweet. So cute. Hearts flying my way. Artificial intelligence. My avatar creating a buzz. 

I slowly come to my senses. Lina I’m leaving. Half heartedly I move my curtain, my eyes still covered by my sleeping mask, I hug him. One more gone. 

About last night… where to start? Where did this again all come from? Like a storm, a rush picking up right the moment I open the door to the hostel, returning from my afternoon walk. The group of Polish, gone, I take a look inside and see… HER. The one I was waiting for. My heart jumping, we both fall into laughter, hugging each other. That moment igniting a motion of excitement, friendship, family, happiness, reconnection, growth, LOVE throughout the entire evening, night, morning. Holding space, with every moment the family is growing. Our laughter exploding. Not have I seen the kitchen so packed like this evening, everyone in the same vibe, getting drinks, eating, each and every single one talking to each other, rebuilding, recreating, something… that wasn’t there before. An indescribable atmosphere that needs no encouragement but develops so naturally, organically evolving into space for each and every one. An intrinsic self-fulfilling prophecy in it the most blissful way. 

Something so unique building between ten fifteen people as our lost family members all return at the same time from the place I could not go to because my heart was waiting for them, not to miss them. All the stories evolving here, tonight to reunite. All the unique experiences, becoming one in the end the more we go into our stories. 

Ending in the place that I was so eager to go to, I can only stay outside. Tiny favorite boy still sitting by my side continuing our talk from earlier. Love, life, pain. I want to hug him. Be held by him. So much depth, connection, authenticity, rawness, care, heart, reflection, transforming energy, creating a better world, more humane, more beautiful. More of us. 

Next morning. He’s sitting next to my bed ready to go, staying for two more hours, talking, deep diving again. It’s hard to find this depth of connection during traveling. My realizations from the last weeks, rewarding me in manifesting actual friends around me, people growing close to my heart in every aspect. The core of us. Five. Four. Three, again bursting with laughter around our own flaws, insecurities, confusions about the world, exchanging our fragility, pure, becoming our strength when we’re sharing it. Stripping naked in front of each other without hesitation in all earnest honesty the fairy is walking in as if we’ve called her, joining the circle. Giving space, taking space. Expanding the room in unexpected dimensions, joining as if it was written in the stars. Vipassana, meditation, India, she’s mirroring each of us and we let her. 

The Magic these days bring to me is indescribable. Whenever I start to think about how the last two months have brought me an amount of friendship, moments of love, laughter and connections lasting for a lifetime, creating a family, home creating safe space around me, there’s no way in the universe that this could expand even more, my heart… is opening up, telling me the opposite, sending people my way, changing my life for the better, leaving me in awe. In humility like she brings it to me for me, to everyone, her smile never ceasing to leave her face. 

The energy generated in only the last 24 hours, by us, for us, seeing the atoms literally changing their colors in front of my eyes, creating the magic in the universe that we’re here to experience, to bring to life, to make. Our life in this world, that we choose every day.

Guten Morgen. I move around in my bed, still extremely tired from Sunday night. Peaking through the curtain I see the Spanish guy smiling at me, I can barely open my eyes. Oh you’re still tired? I’m so sorry. It’s good to wake up to friends and go to sleep the same. Like last night when my sweetest friend comes to my bed, opening the curtain to say goodbye to me. Hugging me, almost crying, these are the ones. The ones I’m still here for. The ones that made me stay. 

Crawling out of my bed a young man is looking at me: I think I remember where I know you from. Karma. Ah yea that one I remember too. And surely he would become part of the story like every single person entering this place, our place the following days, becoming a personal story of mine. 

Attempting to end my tiredness from the days before I fail largely when three of the boys get ready to go to the chronicles. One new member. Blending in naturally. Look, age, mood, spirit. As if he was called. I join, no opportunity slipping by me. As we begin to walk down the street they start mentioning someone besides the Karma connection, describing his appearance resulting in nothing but laughter. Seems the crowd around me grows into to more of the same outside appearances. The one with the mustache, from Great Britain, young lad, like ten years younger than me. This is the start of my role as Nino, mother of Georgia, hosting my personal Kindergarten traveler’s boy’s group. 

Speaking about them, I see two silly guys walking towards us, I point at one of them saying to him that he must be the last one I haven’t seen. I may have not, while the karmic rebound starts expanding again. Look she doesn’t remember us. We very well remember you. Nina. Nina. How’s the yoga going? Ah… they do seem to know again more than me… slowly memories return while they keep making fun. And you have a beautiful voice too. You were singing really nicely. You may not remember us but we could never stop thinking about you. Every single day. The attitude carried throughout the day as they join the group to the chronicles. We started off with three, now it’s five giggling boys in their early 20ies around me, that will finally accumulate to the number of twelve. 

Finally picking up a woman, an impressive open hearted soul, we’re leaving the boys to return to the city. Not long after I decide to call it an early night as the exhaustion of the excessive drinking is still deeply stuck in my bones, I find myself in the kitchen with two of the boys. We’re going out for dinner. Come join. And so there goes my quiet night. From the three of us the number keeps rising within the upcoming thirty minutes it takes everyone to get going, peaking in the final twelve. The entire hostel (THE BOYS) has joined for what’s obvious to become a party. 

Spirits are high again as we move around the table having an introduction circle, raising our glasses, giving each other different names, telling our personal running gags with each and everyone. I can feel me getting more drunk by the minute. When we leave the restaurant to go to our most favorite Fabrika, my memories already start fading. Apparently my glasses refill themselves, laughter and conversations continue, switching people, others from the hostel joining. Our own bubble where everyone is friends, becoming family. Sticking together voluntarily, mirroring one another in kindness and honesty as compassionate as we can, yet clear to have each other’s backs. 

When even Fabrika wants to get rid of us, it must be after midnight. But of course we’re not done. While one left all his belongings in the first place, another one drops his phone in the toilet and two others are getting into a fight.

I find myself sitting at the bar having more shots in front of me, deeply involved in a conversation with the one. The one I keep having the longest, most complex exchange of perspectives, about our feelings and how we perceive the world around us in mutual agreement. His apprehension, his insights amazing me. It feels light. Our understanding for one another and the world arhat we live in, almost always in perfect synchronicity. Union. Unison. He makes me feel like there is hope for human kind, for young men like him evolving in such wisdom. It encourages me, for who I am. We get closer as so does the morning, my senses fading away until I hit my pillow and get once more woken up too early by an inconsiderate roomy. 

Starting into this day is an exponential version of the day before, an extension. In exhaustion, tiredness, hungoverness and the clear notion that it’s become time for a break. I text him for he’s coming up after showering. We’re hugging. How far are you in the process? I’m ready. His process will take two more hours in the making. Giving me the time to again discover a new connection who’s just joined the bubble while the boys one after another keep noticing curiously that the two of us are going to the same place. 

Asking our new arrival for his yoga mat that catches my attention initially, we get talking and finding, yes of course our friends matching in the city of angels. Again and again I look as his jaw is dropping from the surprising coincidence when I find out about our mutual friends. I’m not surprised anymore. It’s that place connecting in ways I haven’t felt it anywhere before. Our Spanish friend teasing us to finally leave as we’re encouraging him to leave, everyone hugging each other goodbye, I can feel how a wave of disbelief and instability is moving through the room as it seems our paths are starting to go into separate directions. We agree to all meet back again for the last time being on Saturday. Having said so our Spanish friend is coming with us until we’re taking the metro. This is unique. This energy, this notion, the closeness and dedication as we’re all so different, yet so similar in our hearts.

For two days it’s only the two of us. Sharing our moments, more stories, more of our hearts. I decide I need more time away to be ready for our last reunion. One more day of quiet after the rain. Of time to myself. Of alone before joining with the most amazing people for our final night.

Trying two times to climb up to the cross from different paths throughout the day, it seems the universe doesn’t want me to reach, leaving me hanging between the rocks or in the jungle forest with nowhere to go but back down. We’re having our last coffee together while little details about our days start synchronizing across the world. Finally managing it up to the old fortress in the setting sun, I feel happy and full. 

Looking forward to my home cooked dinner, as expected even receiving soup from the host. 

My eyelids still heavy even till this day, I start hitching back our friendship corner, leaving an unwanted follower behind. Up in the lorry, my second lift, seeing the beautiful nature of autumn around my from the high seat, I feel lucky. One minute wait and I am back in the Marshrutka to Tbilsi. And. My personal friendship corner.