For the last few months while preparing for this trip, every now and then we would stretch our budget and leave a generous tip for housekeeping at a hotel or take a few extra moments of our time to help out a tourist lost in Center City Philadelphia. We chalked up the expense or the time as good for our travel karma and didn’t really think too much more about it.
The latest example occurred earlier this week in Chicago after we each purchased $10 CTA passes. We figured that at $2.25 a ride for the El, we would use the train at least four times each during our stay. However, the combination of too many meals out with friends and family and some unusually beautiful weather inspired us to ditch the train and walk the three miles from the Loop to Lakeview instead. So as we got off the train at O’Hare on Tuesday, we each had an extra ride on our cards. Since we wouldn’t be back in Chicago anytime soon and carrying around CTA passes for a year seemed a little ridiculous, we offered our passes to some travelers standing in line at the kiosk. Confused at first and not sure why we were giving up our CTA passes, we finally convinced one man that we weren’t crazy and he took our passes.
This morning the favor was returned. While we were in the lobby of our hotel, a fellow traveler who was leaving Istanbul offered us her last two tram tokens. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect as tonight we are taking our first tram ride to dinner in Boyoglu, an Istanbul neighborhood on the other side of the Golden Horn. The tram goes over the Galata Bridge (pictured below), which we walked across at sunset last night.
What travel karma have you experienced? Share in the comments below.
Related posts:
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice work! Looks like a beautiful city. Enjoy dinner tonight.
By the time you wake up tomorrow, Kate and I will have our dirty little hands on the Mazda. Zoom, zoom!
What a fantastic way to start off your journey! It looks as if you’re off to a great start and that the travel gods are shining upon you.
Enjoy! I can’t wait to get the updates as you continue your travel.
Very cool post!
I’ve already used one of the coupons you guys left for us. (Not on more candy, don’t worry.)
I haven’t experienced the direct bit of karma as you guys just did, but I’ve always had great luck with people when traveling. A lot of times I’m over-prepared for a trip, but even when I’m not, I always feel like I get to see some secret thing that not a lot of other tourists do. (i.e. public hot springs in Granada, Spain; Convents in Kyoto, Japan; side trail off Ampitheater Lake in Jackson, WY)
I think as long as you keep a really open mind while traveling, these things kind of fall in your lap. Nice to hear of your good fortune so far, however small it might be. Can’t wait to see more pictures!
That story is great…and I am glad ot hear you are off to a good start to the trip!
Don’t think I have experienced anything as direct as that, but since I will be gone for the next 2 weeks traveling, I am going to keep that in mind and try and build up my good travel karma
Can’t wat for more pics! It looks beautiful there!
Pictures look GREAT, beautiful place, we arre sure you are enjoying your new adventure.
Sandy would be right there with you on the good and bad Carma.
Thanks for the updates,
Love and miss you
Dad and Sandy
Hope you have a great adventure! Safe travels.
Just loved your travel karma story. I once upgraded a service man to first class with one of my companion tickets, on a leg from Frankfurt to Cincinnati. He hadn’t been home in a year . The flight attendants gave him all kinds of food and hot fudge sundaes and really wined and dined him. He was so grateful that he pulled this long picture out of his backpack for me. It was a picture of his platoon, about 25 guys sitting on a tank and trucks holding guns. Not really sure what to do with the picture. So it is safely stowed with Allie and Kevin sports and school pictures!