With masks, social distancing, looking away from each other when passing, and limited travel, I met far fewer “Today’s Nice Strangers” in 2020 than usual (although I had such high hopes at the beginning of the pandemic when I saw that guy with the parrot on his front lawn in suburbia).
As always, however, the people I did meet made my day. If you were one of them, thank you.
The collage above features select street portraits from 2020. You can see more photos and read snippets about them at #TodaysNiceStranger on both Twitter and Instagram, and see the gallery of photos on a dedicated feed (@TodaysNiceStranger) on Instagram. I’ve provided a few links below to stories published on this blog.
Some of the chance encounters over the years have led to new friendships. One of them, a sketch artist named Captain Barry who is dedicated to “sketching America,” has been a particular joy to follow this year. All of them have taught me:
- There’s an incredible variety of people we pass each and every day;
- Connecting with strangers is fun and easy when you’re traveling at a pace where you can look humanity in the face;
- Everyone has a story worth sharing and is worth the time to hear it.
And so, goodbye 2020, and hello to 2021. Who will we meet next while Traveling at the Speed of Bike?
As always, I trust the journey.
Related posts:
“You Go, Girl!” Complete Series
Waves, Nods, and Words of Support
Meet all these other folks as well
Traveling at the Speed of Bike 