It’s a memory that has stuck out to me the most of all my experiences on this trip. I have been meeting a ton of people talking and exchanging stories but this one was special. It was different. This one felt like a fleeting moment where time stops and two people collide by complete fate. And every influence the person was meant to have in your life happens.

It was the most magical night that will forever be a fond and perfect memory. I didn’t realize the significance of this encounter until I was sharing the story with a friend. I connected with a stranger on such a deep level, in a matter of 10 hours. From 9 pm to 7 am I spent the whole night staying awake and talking with a complete stranger. I’ve never experienced that with anyone else in my life. The chemistry was undeniable.

We met at the bar of the hostel. I was getting ready to go to sleep because I wanted to get a good night sleep that night. We sat at the bar exchanging conversation as he walked in. He was with a group and they were loud and off putting at first, they had just come from a club. He walked up to me so confidently he came off as cocky and I was not having it but then he spoke so softly and I could tell he was genuine. After exchanging information his group blended with my group and we all sat together. We all drank and played games getting to know each other and each others stories. We were practically all strangers and were pieces of a puzzle that would make up the evening. All from different countries, and different walks of life. Our stories and personalities each unique and compelling. We all got to know some of the deepest and most intimate thoughts and experiences of each others life. There was a certain feeling in the group where you could say whatever you wanted because we knew it was unlikely we would ever meet again. That freedom in our stories was not something I had every experienced before, and we were all extremely openminded to the differences in opinions of each other.

As the night was ending for most around 5 am him and I continued exchanging stories about our past. He was so open about every single part of his life. By 4 am I knew everything about his life, every scar, every imperfection, every struggle and every insecurity he had. It was beautiful how open he was with me. Something I had never experienced. After talking in the bar for hours we decided to go for a walk outside.

It was one of the most memorable and beautiful moments of my life so far. It was so easy and genuine. Even though he came off as aggressive to me in the beginning, there was a genuineness to him that was so beautiful. We walked around Prague and watched the sunrise while exchanging really deep thoughts and meaningful conversation. How refreshing to talk to someone in such an open and explicit way. A complete stranger. It was meaningful the way we opened up to each other.  His personality was amazing. He was so smart and spoke so many languages. He was gentle, he would subtly take my hand and lead me around. He insisted that we wave to all the homeless people we saw on park benches waking up as the sun hit their faces. The first image they saw as their eyes opened was him and I smiling and waving, walking the streets in our pajamas. We had to use the restroom so he convinced me to follow him into a hotel lobby at 6 am while he asked the reception if we could use the facilities. I told him it was a bad idea and he said we had to try. He asked the front desk receptionist and we went down the stairs to what looked like some kind of stage. Their was also a coat check area below, he pretended to be a coat check attendant as I was coming out of the bathroom. He was so silly and fun. Then we walked around Prague searching for a park with a view of the city. We walked through a park with a bunch of red roses and he picked me one. It was like a movie. He handed it to me, so cheesy but it was so fitting for the evening we had. We talked while watching the sunrise in the park and watched people on their commute to work. It was so easy to be around him and talk to him. He pushed me to open up more and we just sat on a park bench enjoying our last hour together before we parted ways. He was passing through on his way home to Netherlands and I was on my way to Budapest. It was a perfect moment in time, it was just enough. Our time was perfectly short and I learned a lot while staying up all night. I learned that life and moments are too short not to share your whole self. Because of his willingness to be so open with me I got to know him on such a deep level. We connected so much, conversation was easy and effortless. We both helped each other deepen our wisdom, we had a lot in common. But even the things we didn’t agree on were light hearted and open.

This encounter with him was fun and romantic in one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen but it was so much more than that too. He showed me how much I’ve healed. How this journey has already taught me so much. And how important it is to let go of the past in order to appreciate the present. Forget about the future, are you living in the moment are you enjoying everything that is around you and happening to you right now? In that moment with him walking around Prague, the sky was so beautiful and the company was even better. We just looked at the sunrise and realized how amazing this moment was. He showed me how good I am on my own, and how much I deserve. He never explicitly said these things but it was just the connection in our conversations. He was such a good guy, who could also admit how shitty of a man he has been in the past. He knew the man he wanted to be and even though he got mixed up along the way, he was working hard toward getting where he wanted to be. He knew his limits too which I admired so much. Honesty like that is so hard to come by and also finding someone who knows what they want. His wisdom was amazing and I don’t even think he realizes how unique and amazing of a person he is.

As morning came and his time to leave was nearing, he expressed how great of a time he had and how comfortable he felt talking to me. It was a perfectly sweet goodbye just as the night was. The best 10 hours I’ve had and they went by too quickly. We left each other physically but mentally I know we will always cherish that memory and carry it with us fondly. I never expected that to happen, especially that night, but I am so happy it did. I will cherish that moment forever and Prague will always hold a special place in my heart because of it. We collided in a perfect moment on a perfect night and for the first time in awhile I wasn’t stressed out about what was to come. Everything made sense in that moment, and everything was the way it was supposed to be.