It's a small world

We hear this comment a lot.

"It's a small world..."

I mean, EARTH is a huge planet. It is. There are so many places to live. So many places to visit.

All the gadgets and gizmos that people have in their backpacks, their purses, and attached to their arms and waists. Amazing!

But what really gets me is when you see someone you know. In a place you would never have suspected.

We've all been there. The days when we are a total mess. You parents know what I'm talking about. When you've just thrown on whatever outfit is handy (and hopefully clean) and you've barely had time to brush your teeth. You're out with your kids to do a quick errand when BAM! You see someone you haven't seen in ages. And you look like crap. Yup! The only thing to do is put a huge smile on your face and greet them. Right?

Okay...that is NOT the kind of thing I'm really referring to when I say "It's a small world...."

What I'm talking about is when you are someplace away from home and you unexpectedly run into a friend.

Now where is the most unique place that YOU have met a friend?

For me, I had just graduated from college. My folks bought me the BEST graduation gift ever. It was a 3 week trip to Europe. It was one of those for ages 30 and under. One of those not so glamorous but OH-SO-FUN quick trips through Western Europe.

I went with my good friend who had also just graduated. She and I had never traveled together so that in itself was an adventure. But that's for another entry at some other time.

We'd been on the trip for about a week. We'd left London. We'd seen Paris - The Louvre the Eiffel Tower. We'd been to the South of France. And we were in Rome.

After dinner that first night (around 8pm), the entire tour took a walk through the neighborhood our restaurant was located. It was a clear night around. Not a cloud in the sky. Cobblestone walkways between these old buildings. It was a picture postcard of what you would think old Italy would look like when the walkway opened up into an amazing square. It was an open area where a bunch of walkways ended up. It had a beautiful fountain in the middle. And it wasn't little. It was half the size of a football field.

What was even more interesting was that it was a weeknight and there were people gathered in this square. There was a group playing music. People walking about talking and laughing. It was so relaxing. Then...

"Delta Sig!" **

[pause-pause] What did I just hear? Did I hear what I think I just heard?

"Hey you! Delta Sig!"

I turned to the voice and it was a business fraternity friend of mine. And it was not just some fraternity friend. It was one of the most fantastically amazingly handsome guys in the fraternity. Think California golden haired surfer boy. All the gals around me were a-twitter as he and a couple of his buddies came over to me.

"What are YOU doing here?"

"No...what are YOU doing here?"

"I'm on a 3-week tour of Europe. How about you?"

"Oh yeah. We just got here (Rome) yesterday. We'll be headed back home next week"

"How long you been here?"

"Oh, we've been backpacking for about 4 weeks now."

Okay folks. You amazed? My friend had been backpacking through Europe for a month. And I had just got over there for a week. And we BOTH were in Rome. In this SQUARE. At 8pm at night. At the SAME TIME!

Now how much of a coincidence is that?

Come on...tell me...give me your story!