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p class=”MsoNormal”>In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
Albert Schweitzer

Big Ass Money Cat

Big Ass Money Cat

KK: What do you think of Craig?
Me: Seems like a cool guy.
KK: mmmmmm I’m gonna sit on his face. *puffs cigarette*

Well hell. Can’t argue with that. Often in travel you develop great relationships with people. You’re best friends or lovers for a week but you never see each other again. Sure you want too but life gets in the way. That’s the nature of long term travel. But a select few people come along that you truly bond with. That become family. KK was one of those people for me. We never actually should have met.

Over a two month period I was sick three times (flu and strep throat) traveling through Europe. At the time, the continent was in the midst of the worse winter in over one hundred years. Budapest was supposed to be my jumping off point for the southern Europe. It ended up being my last as you know. I decided to stay Black Sheep Hostel simply because it had high ratings and all the others were booked. I stumbled in about 12pm but had to wait to check in. And here’s where the Dominoes started to fall.
Most hostels have check in about 2pm so you have to sit around and wait. I decided to hang out a bit and started to chat up an American named Stephanie. Typical backpacker chick. Bandana, pajama pants, and lose fitting t-shirt. Mad cool. We chatted for a couple hours until my room was ready. I go take a quick nap to re-juice. Later that afternoon I come out to see a blond ball of anxiety and frustration pacing the hostel.

Siam Ocean World Mantaray

Siam Ocean World Manta ray

I ask Stephanie what’s this girls deal? Well this is KK. She just had her computer, credit cards, and cash stolen by some Parisian (these Parisians at this place pissed me off. more on that later) girl she had trusted. I believe there was some other stuff but that’s the gist. If there is a worst case scenario on the road this girl was living it. KK had recently hit the road after several years in corporate America. She was in a foreign country, been robbed, knew no one, and was pretty new to solo International travel. FUCK!!!!!

What kind of shocked me was no one was really helping her. Everyone was just kind of watching her meltdown. Smartphone’s and laptops everywhere and no one offered. So I did. I told her to take my laptop and do what she had to do. She could use my Google Voice account to call home and cancel her stuff and talk with family. She was so grateful and happy it kind of embarrassed me. Settle down Blondie. I didn’t just save you from a Lion or anything. lol

She went into the other room so she could make her call in private. After she was done she thanked me profusely and promised to repay me. I’m like, whatever and really didn’t think much else about it. I was dealing with my own shit. I was one step away from going home. I was tired, sick, and underwhelmed by Europe. I don’t want to do anything. But in true superhero form I fall into the trap. Blonde hair and blue eyes convincing me to go out to a club to blow off some steam. For the record I didn’t want to go. The hostel group was a bunch Chicago based college yuppies I didn’t care for. Stephanie and KK specifically asked me to go so I said sure given KK was having a shit day.

Budapest has a different kind of club scene. Filled with hipsters and hotties. Bangers and clangers. Ruin bars are the scene here. Basically old factories, apartments, and offices converted into club/bars. Pretty damn cool. After cruising several to find a good one, it was Tuesday after all, we finally settle on one. Our group was about twelve deep but myself, KK, and Stephanie generally stuck together.

Sidenote: Sambuca SUCKS!!! Never drink it. I don’t know who convinced me but I remember KK and Stephanie taking the shot with me so I’m blaming it on them. I hate you both forever.

As the night wore on things tend to get a bit “hazy”. One minute I’m pulling KKs stupid looking ponytail and the next I’m grooving with a group of Brazilian girls. No idea what happened to everyone so I decide to sit my ass down. So my basic drinking logic is if I lose everyone  I’m important enough for people to find me (drunk logic works every time). Stay in one place. Everyone eventually finds me including Stephanie and KK. Stephanie and KK ask me to smoke with them. I don’t smoke but needed air so off we went.

Full Moon Partayyyy

Full Moon Partayyyy

KK with Cyn

KK with Cyn

 It’s COLDDDDDDD in Budapest during winter. How you smokers deal with it I don’t know. So the conversation gravitates to who is hooking up with who. Somehow I became the defacto protector of KK’s virginity according to the douchbag Chicago crew. I ask KK, are you a lesbian? They laugh. Sometime during the night this kid John ask me what’s up with KK? Am I hooking up with her? I said no, we’re just cool. He asks if she’s gay? I hunch my shoulders simply because I had no clue. Apparently something happened the night before where he got that impression according to KK. So as the conversation carries on she asks what I think of him. I tell them that I think he’s a fucking idiot for trying to buy drugs in a foreign country (this kid was an IDIOT. Basically went down some dark alley and got ripped off) but seemed like a cool dude. Next thing I hear, ” mmmmmm I’m gonna sit on his face”. I almost died laughing.

Sidenote: I believe she sat on his face!!!

At that moment I knew I loved this girl. Not because she was about to put it on that young kid. But because after all the shit she had been through she still had the passion for life. The balls to say fuck it. Keep it moving. Most women I know would have crawled into a little ball at the hostel and cried herself to sleep. Not this one. KK was a soldier and I liked it. But what she had in gumption she lacked in experience. I quickly recognized she was a bit naive. Not in life but in travel. To this day I tell her, don’t trust white people (kidding…..kinda). Basically from that night on, I became her International wingman.

GOOD PARTY

GOOD PARTY

So the next day the same group decided to visit the famous hot thermal bathes. Turned out to be an amazing experience but was also the last straw for me with Europe. The next morning I woke up half dead. Like a dumbass I went to hot bathes in the middle of winter while recovering from the flu. Bad idea. I decided at 8am it was time to go. KK was going to Thailand for the Full Moon Party.  If there is anywhere in the world a single female traveler that drinks DOESN’T need to be alone, it’s the Full Moon Party. That place is date rape central. KK needed someone to watch her back and I needed a reason to keep traveling because I was ready to quit. Cheap drinks, bikinis, and beaches. Sounds good to me. I told KK and she was jazzed up. We were going to two entirely different parts of the country but agreed to meet for the party since she had no one to go with at the time. I booked a flight for the next morning.

I ended up staying an extra two weeks in Thailand waiting for her to get there because she had a family emergency. No skin off my back. Hanging on the beach with massages and drinks. Our adventures in Thailand solidified a bond that’s stronger than anything my words can truly express. We think alike, we talk alike, we act alike. But we are totally different. Two different people from two different worlds that just work together. To this day, people swear me and her dated or at least hooked up. Never happened. Not even close. We just tend to do dumb shit like jump fire rope. Hell we are each others wingman/cockblocker.

Several guys approached me apologizing for hitting on my girl. Contrary to popular belief, backpackers are fairly respectful of the relationship dynamic. I would tell them she’s my sister for laughs. Somehow that took on a life of its own and we became known as the brother and sister. She was adopted into my black family and raised as one of our own. Like a baby deer raised by wolves. lol
The puzzled look on people’s faces was priceless (seeing as I’m a decent sized black guy and she’s a tiny blond) but it actually became real. We started treating each other like siblings. We traveled together, roomed together, ate together, and gave each other advice. If someone wanted to talk to me they went through here and vice versa. It got to the point where guys would ask ME if it’s cool to try and hook up with her. This blew my mind. Why the hell would I be ok with you fucking my sister? lol. Like all good things, our adventures had to come to an end…..temporarily.

Taking a friend to his first ping pong/strip show

Taking a friend to his first ping pong/strip show

We met dozens of awesome people and received several invitations to travel around the world. She continued to travel SEA and I headed back to my original project in South America. We were supposed to meet in Canada to visit with another member of our travel family but I couldn’t make it (she did). Instead we’re heading back to Asia for the New Year.

I don’t believe in fate or destiny. I don’t believe in soul mates. I do believe in true friendship and commitment. Me and KK are siblings in every meaning of the word outside of blood. Some people you have to hold on to in life. Me and my sister showed up in each other’s lives when we needed someone the most. I was lucky enough to find my Blond Hair Blue Eyed Sister. And her stupid drunk white girl dance. Sit yo ass down woman!!!