PHOTO: Reuel Eugene Tay

Go out, talk to new people, make new friends. Strike a conversation, talk about the weather. Who knows, a beautiful and lasting friendship that crosses all borders can be forged in that process.

P.S. That is my 49-year-old mother on the right with 36-year-old Junko from Japan (in the middle) and 24-year-old Yu-Sun from Korea (on the left). Three women from totally different age groups, isn’t this totally amazing? That’s why I love traveling and backpacking so much.