I love talking to people. I mean I really love it. I don't discriminate either. I'm one of the irritating people on the airplane who won't stop asking questions. Whether I'm in line at the gas station or checking out at the grocery store, I'll engage the person across from me. I thrive off of times in which I get to hear peoples' stories. I often find myself looking for someone new to talk to. Unlike what my mother taught me, I believe in talking to strangers. My family always teases, and at times reprimands me, for being a little too outgoing. I find that conversations with unfamiliar people energize me.

I remember one family vacation in Cabo San Lucas , Mexico . I was eleven years old and I laid next to the “big kid” pool, kicking my feet in the water, bored, looking for someone to talk to. Most eleven year olds would look for a kid their age or a friend to splash around with in the water. Instead, I eyed an old man sitting near me. He had a white scruffy beard and very little hair, probably around seventy-five, and I chose him as my new friend in Cabo San Lucas. We began talking and within fifteen minutes we were pals. He was a doctor who had raised three daughters; I also was one of three girls in our family. We talked for a long time, and his compassion and friendliness still has an impact on me today. Just last year, I sat next to a balding, red-headed man in his mid-thirties on a flight to Los Angeles , California . He had a new born daughter, and was juggling family and being the owner of FOX, a sporting goods company. He told me that I was wise, and gave me his email so that I could keep him updated on my future endeavors. Weeks later I found that email, and to this day continue to keep in touch with one of my many friends met on an airplane.

To this day, I believe that every one has a story, and it's my job to find out what it is. My mom once told me never to talk to strangers, but I believe that isn't always true. If I hadn't talked to the cashier in the cafeteria line, I wouldn't have discovered he was a friend of my fathers, who passed away in 2001. If we all slowed down and took the time to hear each others stories, we may discover we're all a lot more in common than we think.