Lucas's Blog

We’ve all been there

Standing in line at a cafe

sitting next to a stranger on a plane

or awkwardly looking up at the roof of an elevator as you slowly go up 27 floors

Why do we choose to be silent in these moments

Other humans are close by, we can easily interact with them

But less and less we choose too

Each time you’re faced with a choice

Do you

A) Strike up a conversation with this person

B) Or sit in the comfort of silence, pull your phone out, and distract yourself from talking

The majority of people would invariably say the latter

I’m not sure of the exact point in history when we all stopped talking to each other in these scenarios

I’d say there’d be some correlation between the creation of mobile devices and less time spent talking to strangers

Whatever the reason, I want this to change

Recently I have found myself in these scenarios often

Being in a shop, walking past a construction site, ordering food, or sitting on a bus to my next destination

The two most recent examples of this have been in the last seven days

The first occurred yesterday

On a local chicken bus (the local bus in El Salvador and most of Central America)

Me and the Swedish couple I’m with went from El Tunco To El Zonte

A 15-20 minute trip down the Coast

Now a younger Lucas would have put his headphones in, put a podcast on, and zoned out while we traveled

This is something I’ve done a lot on night busses on this trip

However, in this scenario,

I wanted to talk to a few locals in broken Spanish to tell them I really loved visiting their Country

I struck up a conversation with Hernando, a Salvadorian gentleman who grew up nearby

He helped me maneuver my bags to the back of my bus, told me about the last 5 years in El Salvador & told me how glad he was to see people like me visit

As I got off,

He helped us get our bags, made the bus driver stop, shook my hand, and left me with a mucho gusto (nice to meet you, Lucas)

An interaction, I previously would’ve let go of me, out of a fear of being awkward

Hernando and I are unlikely to ever see each other in this lifetime again

Sadly we’re on slightly different trajectories

But the fact for those 20 minutes we could bond

Over El Salvador, the beach, nature and Papusas

Is something I’ll never get tired of

The human experience is held up by connection

The second was an excursion out to go ‘volcano boarding’ (not something you say you do every day) in Nicaragua

Hiking up the hill (somewhat less efficient than the traditional mountain chairlift) to get to the top

I noticed a couple walking and chatting, their accents sounded familiar so I thought why not

It’s a strange feeling before a first interaction with another human

What should I say to them? Will they think I’m weird?

I’ve learned that despite the outcome, I’d rather interact and find out, rather than regret

I started a conversation with this couple

One from New Zealand, The other from Australia

Like any person you meet from the same country

It’s always cool to find some further connection

“Which part of Australia” I asked

“Melbourne”

“Uh huh, Which part of Melbourne” I pressed further

“You might not know it, but it’s on the coast south of Melbourne… Called Frankston”

For those unfamiliar, this is the suburb next to where I grew up

We chatted on further, both shocked by this revelation

We ended up finding out we had a mutual friend from our town

What followed was an exchange of stories, insights, and laughs

If I hadn’t been up to chat that day or chose to walk in silence

I never would have had this experience

Moments like these remind me that conversation is more than just small talk

It’s the oxygen that powers social interaction

It’s the best way we have to connect

Understand perspectives wildly different from our own

and sometimes, to even see our own lives in a new light

The art of conversation is about the exchange between parties

The words spoken, gestures exchanged, smiles, laughs and similarities realised

Conversations transcend these language and cultural barriers

Let’s dive deeper, as this a topic I’ve become firmly obsessed with

Why conversations with people from all walks of life are so impactful

exploring how these exchanges broaden our understanding of the world

And Why even the simplest interactions can create lasting, meaningful impressions.

Beyond Small Talk

I started my South American Journey in Rio De Janeiro

A bustling, vibrant city where just about anything goes

The beauty of the city is matched by the energy of the city and its people

After sweating out a bout of food poisoning from Madrid for 48 hours

I was finally ready to take on this great city

I was staying at a hostel called Books, in Lapa, a 15-minute drive from Copacabana

Social, friendly staff and cheap food nearby, everything a young backpacker early in his trip would want

Amongst many of the friendly staff and volunteers, I met Andre

Andre is someone I knew I’d like as soon as I met him

After seeing me walk past him in the mornings a few times

He asked where I was from

Given my dark features and olive skin, he informed me he loved my mustache, it looked quite Italian

I agreed, and told him my own ancestral story, and then decided going forward we’d always give each other the Italian hand gesture when nearby

“My Italian Brother” he’d say each morning

“My Brazillian Hermano” I’d say back

During my 2 weeks at Books

Andre & I became quite close

Mornings feeling dusty after a night of partying in the city, chilling in the hostel or coming on nights out with us all

On a night out at the local spot, we started talking about our respective lives

Showing pictures of our families from home, where we lived in our countries and everything in between

We spoke about travel, something I’ve been lucky enough to do a lot of in my life

I told Andre about my travels, where I’d go on this trip, and beyond

He said how happy he was to hear about my stories about where I’d been

But he’d never had the chance to leave Brazil, something he was hoping to change in the coming years

I remember that moment vividly

It gave me so much perspective on my own life & how grateful I am for what I’ve experienced

It magnified for me that people live such similar lives in vastly different circumstances

Andre and I had so much in common, we were like the Brazillian and Australian versions of each other

Yet for reasons beyond his control, he’d never been given the opportunity to travel internationally

We spoke for about an hour that night, every moment discovering a new connection and a greater bond between the two of us

I told Andre that whenever I became a millionaire or he came to Australia (whichever came first)

I’d take him around the country, as he had in his adopted city of Rio

Something I hope will happen very soon

Andre and I still stay in touch every week

A friendship I’d never have the privilege of having if I hadn’t made the effort to say hello and be cheeky over breakfast

The way Andre saw the world, the smile he had, and his outlook have impacted my life profoundly

He’s one of the most positive and humble people I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting

Whenever I wear the Fluminese jersey he gifted me, I always smile and think of his friendship

This is what can come from those unexpected, off-the-cuff conversations

Hearing someone else’s perspective

How they view happiness

What they’re searching for

How they deal with setbacks—has given me new ways to see my life.

This simple act of talking

Really talking

helped me see that our stories, while different, are deeply connected.

This exposure to conversation broadens our understanding of the world

We often walk away from these interactions carrying small pieces of other perspectives

a collection of insights that gradually shape who we are.

If anyone is visiting Rio that’s reading this

I’ll put you in touch with Andre

one of the nicest people I’ve met over this life journey

(He’s the one in the photo with me)

The Power of Language (and Body Language)

The mighty conversational charades

The traverser of languages, the ballet of connecting languages

There is beauty in trying to communicate across language barriers.

Picture this:

Back in Japan, I was sat next to an elderly man at a small ramen shop in Osaka

I don’t speak Japanese (well beyond Arigatou gozaimasu)

He spoke only a few words of English

But as we shared a meal,

We began to gesture, smile, and laugh

Finding ways to communicate through expressions and small shared understandings.

An overempahised ‘ahhhh’ of my cold asahi

A slurp of his Ramen and a gesture for me to follow

By the end of that meal

I felt we’d had an entire conversation, even if only a few words had been spoken.

Language might be a tool, but the connection is an art.

Often, it’s not the words themselves but the effort to understand each other that brings people closer.

When you’re open to talking, even when it feels difficult or awkward,

You realize that human connection goes beyond vocabulary.

Body language, gestures, and even the willingness to try to speak volumes

creating connections that go beyond words.

Some of the biggest smiles I’ve ever received have been from my horrendous attempts to pronounce a local language

Or to gesture for a certain desired food item

It’s all part of the fun of existence

The enjoyment comes from breaking down a barrier that stands only by conventional means

The hot, sticky feeling you get when you can’t find the right words

Embrace it, and then figure out a creative way to communicate your desires

People will 99% of the time want to help you

And the effort on your end will always be reciprocated

Seek Out People Different from Ourselves

One thing I’ve learned is that people often gravitate toward the familiar.

It’s easier and more comfortable.

But the magic happens when we step out of that comfort zone and engage with people who see life differently.

For example, while traveling In Buenos Aires,

I met an eccentric, American fellow who was still living the hostel life at the ripe age of 72.

His views on creativity, the world, and family stuck with me vividly

He had tattoos covering both arms of every political movement of the last 10 years

He spoke about the children he didn’t speak to, the ones he did, and the wives and partners he hated (and some he still loved)

He was at the extreme of almost every perspective you could have

He’d ridden bikes across continents

Marched in over 50 rallies across the US

and had children with 4 Different Women

Although I didn’t agree with everything he was saying or what he believed

He did provide an explanation for all his beliefs, no matter how insane or beyond belief

It’s refreshing to meet people you don’t totally agree with

It stands to challenge your position on that you hold on the issue at hand

It’s these kinds of encounters that remind us just how diverse and complex the world is

and why it’s so valuable to step outside our usual circles.

When we meet someone with completely different life experiences

It pushes us to re-evaluate the things we take for granted, the beliefs we hold, and the values we live by.

Conversations have done it all

The ignited change

brought peace

Made us laugh

Even helped us see the world in new ways.

They’re where big ideas start

where walls come down

and sometimes, where things find a peaceful close.

Talking to people,

especially those who are different from us

isn’t just nice to have; it’s essential to understanding ourselves and each other.

So, next time you’re standing next to someone new, don’t be afraid to say hello.

That one little conversation could make you reconsider your whole life

leave you with a story to tell, or maybe just remind you that we’re all actually quite similar

The more you talk to people, the more you enjoy talking to people

As an additional gift to my beloved readership

Here’s a great video to watch that touches on topics in this blog

‘You Are 1 Conversation Away From a Completely Different Life’

LB