TIME TOGETHER · OUR MEMORIES
We don’t know
where a hello will lead.
We meet people in the most unlikely places: through hosting websites, out on walks, and even at parties. Sometimes those connections turn into a lovely stay. Sometimes we’re still part of each other’s lives years later. Here are a few people we think of when we talk about Friends We Haven’t Met Yet.
Tony
Tony arrived in the fall of 2020, as he was beginning to travel full time and live home-free. He’s returned for a few months every year since, helping with big projects and sharing meals, fun, and everyday companionship.
Over the years, a stay has become a lifelong friendship. We’ve come to know his family and friends too, and he’s become part of ours.
Chen
Chen came with a friend over Thanksgiving break while at UMass. In the courtyard, they met another guest and became curious about that way of staying. Later, Chen messaged about spending a month with us during winter break. We talked, made arrangements, and spent that month together.
One of Greg’s most moving memories is driving Chen to the airport. Chen teared up and said, “I understand a lot more why you do this.”
Jeff
We met Jeff through HelpX. He came from England and has returned a couple of times. He was always finding something to do: helping with all sorts of things around here, then heading out into New Orleans’ nightlife and community.
Some of his outings led us to discover things we might never have found otherwise. We hope to visit him in Birmingham someday.
Helen
We stayed with Helen in England through Couchsurfing. She has visited us over the years, too. It’s one of those friendships that began with someone opening their home.
Roberta
We met Roberta at a wedding. She’s a teacher from Michigan who loves New Orleans, and she returns in the summers for weeks or months. A wedding introduction became a continuing friendship.
Raphael
Raphael was in his last year of school in Paris when he came to stay for about a month and a half. About a week into the visit, we invited him along on a road trip to Michigan.
We admired the courage it took to join us and stay with family he hadn’t met before. We loved sharing a Detroit Tigers baseball game, small-town Michigan, and our everyday New Orleans life with him.
There are so many other stories, and more still to come. We’re curious about the people we haven’t met yet and what your own story here might be.
These are our memories of particular connections. Each visit finds its own shape, with arrangements we agree together.
