What's Your Story? | Rome

My dad would always say everyone has a story. He told me that you never truly know what is happening with a person at any given moment.

I will admit whole heartedly I never understood this concept and instead of listening and attempting to comprehend the stories, I would listen and "judge". I've been called a "judgmental person" more times than I can count. It stems from my religious beliefs and my understanding in an absolute truth that doesn't depend on the fickleness of humanity. I was always discouraged by being called judgmental and never wanted people to view me as that nor did I actually want to be that. However, these past few months I think my judgment has began to morph into a virtue: compassion.

Best 20th Birthday ever

This past week I was on spring break (aka the best week of my life!). I was fortunate enough to spend it with some of my brothers and close friends. It wasn't your typical crew together but that's what made it so perfect. Over the course of the week I got to know my friends in ways I never thought I would. We stayed up late sharing stories and were walking around different countries spilling out our lives to each other.

One night we were sitting in this very cool underground bar when my friend looked at me and said, "You never know what someone's going through so that's why you have to treat everything as important as it is to them." I've never heard more true words before.

Falling for Prague

Usually I would hear the stories and then make judgments based on that person's thoughts or actions. What I've come to learn is that those stories are who a person is but not all a person is. Life is hard. We all do dumb things. We even occasionally do smart things. But our stories give a glimpse in to the world we each individually live in which is so different from the world of the person standing next to you. I was on a bus talking to my friend and he shared all of these hardships he is experiencing with me. I had no idea he was dealing with any of this. At the end he said now you wonder why I do what I do. Instead of judgement in that moment for his decisions, my heart was filled with compassion.

People have taught me how to have compassion, how to understand, how to love and listen free of judgement, and how to be open to new ideas and ways of thinking.

Budapest was magical

I must warn you, learning about people is addicting. Once you know their stories you only want more in order to understand people better and love them more fully.

Our thoughts on Berlin...

If there's one thing I've learned about people since being abroad it is that everyone wants to share their life; They're just waiting for someone to ask. Whose story will you care to learn?

Feeling Hungary for travel