Sliding door moments

Sometimes, when I’m on a flight, I’m reminded of a chick lit book I read once. It was the some standard story of a single woman in her 20’s/30’s, travelling somewhere and she gets sat next to a hot (also single) guy on the plane. They hit it off, but don’t exchange details. He turns up as her new boss a few days later and it’s all a bit awkward but much hilarity and mixed messages and mishaps until the end of the book where they get together, are perfect for each other and live happily ever after.

Like, does that shit ever exist? Every time I’ve been on a plane I’ve NEVER been sat next to a hot guy. I’ve never even had someone that’s been that chatty. Maybe I wear a “don’t talk to me face” on planes. Or maybe it’s because I mostly fall asleep. Certainly also never met the perfect man outside a plane, but we all know the perfect anyone is a concept that doesn’t exist.

Anyway, it got me thinking about random meetings with people and where they lead (those kind of sliding doors moments, and not just the romantic kind).

I met my ex-boyfriend (the one from New Zealand) in a hostel dorm room in Hong Kong, three and a half years before we got together. He wasn’t even supposed to be in that room but he’d been moved, and I was about to head out on a run so we easily might’ve missed each other. If we had, I’d never have moved to New Zealand and be living the life I am now.

I met one of my now closest friends after being introduced by a mutual friend when we were both travelling in New Zealand. She was leaving Christchurch the next day so there’s a high chance we could never have crossed paths. We’ve since shared so much together; highs, lows, fun, good times, hopes and dreams and she’s been a great support to me when times have been crap.

I met Jonny Irish in a bar, left without exchanging details and ended up bumping into each other the next day as he was outside the place I was dropping my friend at just as I was about to head off on a road trip. We ended up hooking up and travelling around together for a blissful week and I was introduced to NZ campervan life.

I met a Katie by overhearing her relationship break up at a campsite. If I had headed out just a few minutes earlier, like I’d originally planned to, I’d have never heard their break up and wouldn’t have gone to speak to her. Now she’s a close friend and has introduced me to so many things, my world is enriched and expanded.

I met a guy in a hostel once, I was about to head to bed but a friend persuaded me to stay up for a few minutes longer. After ten minutes of chat, I found myself crashing on his sofa two months later on the other side of the world, saving me a shed load of cash and introducing me to the fabulous world of the local’s San Francisco. He took me to places a tourist would never see, like the roof of his office to drink mint juleps and the How Weird Street Faire. He also enlightened me about orgasmic meditation (not actually literally).

I’m sure there’s more, I guess you could think about most situations in this way really. Because the world is about connections; people meeting and talking and just being. Little moments, little interactions, can have knock on impacts you’d never have guessed, sometimes years down the line.

Who knows what impact you’ve had on someone? Celebrate the connections ♥️

What’s your sliding door moments?