10 things people have shared with me on my travels

Global Sharing Day 2014 is the world’s largest people-driven campaign that raises awareness of the growing ‘Sharing Economy’ – a socio-economic system built around the sharing of human and physical assets.

Since we are building a community of hosts who share their homes and as much as they can about their destination to give you the best experience possible in a country, this is something we know a lot about.

So with this in mind, I’ve been reminiscing about the times people have shared something with me on the road. Here are ten examples that stand out.

1. Travel tips

Without any shadow of a doubt, the thing people have shared most with me on the road is a travel tip. From shopkeepers in Edinburgh to taxi men in Chicago, people all over the world have told me of the best places to go for breakfast and more. Although they’re not a physical commodity, they are very, very valuable.

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2. Cutlery

I’ll never forget the Friday night I spent down along the banks of the River Seine on a balmy Friday evening in June 2009. I was there with my friend Paul and armed with a couple of bottles of wine, some bread and some cheese. It quickly dawned on us that we’d no knife to cut the cheese. One of the locals spotted this and donated a plastic knife. So to the Parisian who did that…I salute you!

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3. Modes of transport

In different parts of Thailand, the locals have transported me from one place to another on many occasions. The same has also happened in Rome, Cape Town and closer to home here in Ireland. Transport is something that has been shared with me many times in the past and I’m sure this will continue into the future.

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4. Protection (in the name of sun protection)

When I was in Lima in Peru I took a boat out to see a bunch of sea lions that live on a rock in the sea. Sound a bit random? It was. The sun was shining a lot that day and I wasn’t prepared. The captain of the speedboat was however, and he kindly shared some of his sunscreen with me to protect me from the South American sunshine. Sadly, I still got burned, but nowhere near as bad as I could have been.

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5. Mobile phones

When you have to make a call overseas on your mobile phone, the first thing to cross your mind is that it is going to be expensive due to roaming charges. In cities all over the world however, people have sensed my apprehension before making that call kindly offered me theirs instead.

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6. Memories

I don’t always have a camera with me to capture moments on the road. But due to smartphones, somebody somewhere does. Also, thanks to the internet, sharing memories taken by these smartphones is as easy as sending a text message. I’ve taken advantage of technology, along with people’s kindness, to have these moments shared, thus having a reminder of those special ‘moments’.

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7. Umbrellas

Photo courtesy of Marc oh!

When you spend time in tropical weather, you encounter the rain a lot. One such time was in Bangkok – I was stuck in a small alley that joined the infamous Khao San Road and a parallel lane called Trok Mayom. To say it was torrential rain outside was an understatement. One lady on a stall in this alley noticed me waiting for the rain to stop so I could go about my business. After five minutes, she left her shop front and came back with an umbrella to enable me to go where I needed to go without being drowned. It was probably the nicest gesture any local has ever done for me because of one thing – trust. How was she to know I would return it? I did, in case you were wondering. Sharing really is caring…

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8. Clothes

Considering how much I’ve travelled, I should be able to predict when it’s going to get cold. You’d think… But there have been occasions where I’ve found myself to be extremely chilly due to being equipped with inappropriate clothing. At times like these I’ve called upon the locals to donate more appropriate clothing for the evening to eliminate said chills. My most memorable occasion was under the stars in the outback in Australia’s Northern Territory once upon a time. Even though I was wrapped up in a ‘swag’, I was shivering. Thankfully, my tour guide’s jacket soon put a stop to that.

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9. Food

What locals don’t want you to try the local delicacies? I’ve tried croquettes in the Netherlands, sushi in Japan and ‘laksas’ (noodle soup) in Malaysia under the recommendation of the people who lived there. I’ve also saved a lot of money in the process due to the generosity of these locals, and I’m always looking forward to the next occasion.

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10. Time

When you travel on your own, you tend to dine on your own a bit also. I don’t mind eating on my own, but some people mind looking at people dining on their own. This has been the case in San Francisco and Hong Kong where I’ve been invited to the tables of others to join in the conversation and share the dining experience with others. I have since done the same with others as a result – invited those who I see eating on their own to join me and my party so they can share the experience with somebody.

What have you shared with others on the road?

Tweet #GlobalSharingDay

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