Touring goes beyond visiting places
It also includes meeting different faces
And yes, I saw a number of places & faces,
But there was this one face in particular
(She happened to be my tour leader)
There's a way she talks and smiles
simultaneously that's so spectacular
It comes out of her unforced, it's so natural

Knowledgeable, passionate, calm
And very compassionate she was.
She told stories of the different places
we visited fluently & impeccably
Severally, she pulled laughs out of me
And filled me back with delicious meals

An icing on the cake was hearing her
tell her own personal story
A story of resilience and bouncing back.
$30 in her pocket at age seventeen,
With no single English word in her mouth
She packed her backpack, moved from Asia to America alone, & the States did hit
her in the face with reality

Down times and low moments couldn't
keep her down, at least not for long
Uneasy but She fought & pushed through
Weathered the storm...
Became an Author (The $30 Journey),
a motivator & above all, a happy person.
She rubbed her joyfulness & positivity on me

It was a 3-day journey like none other,
I'm looking forward to another.