Stuck inside a bus in Guatemala, the Honduran border taunted me. We were completely stopped on a one-lane highway due to a head-on collision of four cars 45 miles ahead, and I was surrounded by strangers. Stuck on the bus with them for 12 hours, I was reminded that collective hope and human connection are vital — they were the shreds of sanity that kept me sane during this journey.
Only a few hours prior, I had gazed out the window to the outside world, baking in the scorching heat of the sun. Back then, I was just thankful to be inside with air-conditioning. Joined by a random collection of UC San Diego study abroad students traveling to Guatemala and Honduras to delve into ancient Mayan history, I sat excited for the beginning of our week-long trip, unaware that this two-hour drive would soon turn into a 12-hour trek.
Forget the pursuit of ancient Mayan knowledge — three hours into the 12, our minds were fixed on only three things: water, food, and using the bathroom. Then, the subtle crinkle of a bag sounded like a beacon of hope. People instantaneously whipped their heads toward the sweet sound of relief, our salty savior: parmesan crisps. A stranger-turned-instant-friend giving me one of his snacks felt like being knighted. Not only did that act initiate a much-needed friendship, it truly embodied human kindness. For the rest of the drive, we bonded over our hunger and were buddies for the entirety of the trip.
His moment of kindness quickly spiraled into a series of friendships I built throughout the remainder of the journey. Without any reception, the pressures of our daily lives couldn’t pull us away from the present moment, and we were able to get to know each other on a more personal level. It was a rare and powerful luxury.
When interacting with people in a typical classroom setting, you usually only see a small part of them. However, living with them for a week while traveling to a new archaeological site everyday allows you to truly get to know someone and appreciate them in their entirety.
The bus ride opened all of that up for us at record speed. We found ourselves indulging in loopy conversation, ranging from discussions of ancient Mayan society to hypotheticals about how social deception games like “Mafia” could manifest in reality. Despite having never met before, we discovered we had so much in common, especially our love for adventure. We formed a bond that felt almost predetermined — one that started on this very bus ride and would carry on throughout the trip and back into the United States.
People say you don’t know someone until you travel with them. This is true, and this trip reminded me of the many facets of human nature. We went from strangers, to friends, to people who had formed a bond only possible when you see someone at their lowest. And this bus ride set up a week where we all felt comfortable with each other, which made the trip more enjoyable.
The kindness we exchanged on that bus ride, from sharing scarce resources like snacks to goodwill even through exhaustion, made me feel loved in a way I never had before. This experience shifted my perspective on how I choose to interact with society on a daily basis, and I now ensure authenticity and intentional kindness are present in every interaction.
This bus ride reminded me of the power and beauty of human connection, and how special it is when not diluted by our modern-day distractions. Despite the undesirable circumstances of an unnecessary 12-hour long bus ride, I would not have changed a thing.
