A colorful surprise

Last evening on our Enrichment Voyage, while docked at Puntarenas, Costa Rica, we were on the deck watching the western sky. The clouds seemed just right for a great sunset. There we were, cameras ready for a ritual of nature that takes place with total predictability every day. We knew the sun would set at 5:52 local time and, with any luck, we’d witness the recurring beauty of changing colors as the sun dipped below the horizon.

But something unexpected occurred. From the other side of the deck someone called out, “Look at the rainbow!” We rushed to the other side of the deck and there it was, a magnificent rainbow. All of us have seen rainbows before, but this was different. It was a complete rainbow with both ends easily visible. Even more surprising, the rainbow didn’t fade out after a few minutes. It was still there 15 minutes later and lasted until the fading sunlight took it away. 

So there we were, with two wonders of nature simultaneously displayed – the expected sunset and the completely unexpected rainbow. Which side of the deck would we favor? Not surprisingly, it was the rainbow. The unexpected rainbow provided more delight than the equally magnificent, but predictable, sunset. 

Isn’t that the essence of exploring? Finding and delighting in the unexpected. But that can happen only if you are open to the discovery of what you weren’t looking for.  Anyone who stayed on the western deck last night will have great photos of the sunset, but they would have missed out entirely on the rainbow.

That is why it is so important, to me, that the new Friendship Force tagline begins with Explore! Exploring means not only looking for the unknown, but being ready to embrace it when it is found. In the Friendship Force we explore the world of cultures and peoples who are different from ourselves. We enter the unknown as we cross the threshold into our host family’s home for a few days or a week, as I’ll do next week in San Jose, Costa Rica. There are always some expected delights as we get to know each other. We expect that our hosts will enjoy sharing their homes with us as well as their family life.  We expect to learn about their food and their customs. We expect to have them show us some of the famous sites in their region.

But often it is the completely unexpected that provides the most lasting memories: it might be an invitation to a special family event—a wedding, an anniversary, a graduation, a neighborhood social gathering. Or it could be something that is part of their regular life, such as a religious observance that is so very different from our experience, yet because we are there with friends we are able to feel a connection. I remember going into a church outside of Tbilisi, Georgia, while on an outing with my hosts. The church was isolated and very old. There was no sign of life anywhere. But when we entered the church there were candles burning in the Orthodox tradition. As we lit our own candles I realized that others had been there before us lighting candles, and that others would follow. It was an experience that provided me with a totally unexpected connection with a tradition that I didn’t understand but could now begin to appreciate.

 I now have some nice photos of last night’s extravaganza of nature – the expected and beautiful sunset and the equally beautiful, totally unexpected rainbow. I’ll keep those photos to remind me of the importance of keeping alert to both as I continue this and future travel adventures. We should never be so focused on what we are expecting that we miss the unexpected.

What is your greatest unexpected memory?