Hola,

Sometimes the most unforgettable things happen when you least expect them.

It was a warm summer night, full of life and sounds, when I suddenly became part of a world that felt so different from my own.

The streets were filled with music, laughter and the magic of the moment. But something drew me deeper, to a place that cannot be found on a map. What I experienced there remains a vivid part of my memory to this day.

A family of strangers, a night full of stories and a scarf that gave me the promise of a return. But was it really coincidence, or was I supposed to meet these people?

Come along and experience the story of a night in which I was adopted for a moment.

Adopted for one night

After a long journey through the south of Europe, you find yourself in a vibrant city on the Mediterranean coast on a warm summer evening.

The days were long, but full of impressions, great sights and interesting motifs.

Every kilometer of road away from home seemed to open up new horizons for you along the way and you had many opportunities to enjoy and reflect.

Now you are sitting in your room in a small, cozy hotel room on the edge of the old town, looking at the city and the coast.

You’ve had a long day and a delicious meal in a small fish restaurant on the beach and you feel a pleasant feeling of fullness.

But no, you’re still far too excited to just go to sleep.

The sounds of the night penetrate through the open window – laughter, music, the sounds of clattering plates and glasses. The city is alive, and this energy won’t let you go.

Du stehst schließlich auf und trittst ans Fenster. Unten erstreckt sich die Straße, das Kopfsteinpflaster schimmert im Licht der Straßenlaternen, und die Menschen bewegen sich wie eine lebendige Welle.

You instinctively know that you can’t sleep yet. Something about this night calls you out.

With a mischievous grin, you quietly grab a few things from your suitcase, change your clothes and finally slip out of the room.

Your heart beats loudly as you turn the key and the door closes behind you. It felt like a forbidden adventure, like a secret departure into a night full of possibilities.

The floor is already quiet and you move quietly to the stairs. With every step down the stairs, your excitement and anticipation of the night increases. As if fate is magically drawing you out into the city.

Downstairs, you meet the porter at reception, who responds to your nod with a knowing smile. You think to yourself that he seems to know what you’re looking for, and you smile back before stepping out onto the street.

Outside, the warm summer air envelops you and you immediately feel alive. The street is full of people, conversations and music.

Gentle sounds reach you from all directions, the classical tones of guitars and castanets, the scent of spices mixed with the salt of the sea in the air.

You let yourself drift, simply following the flow of the city without having a destination.

Past illuminated stores, interesting conversations and impressive buildings. Even the sea rushes to the beat, as if it were traveling through the city with you.

Every step takes you deeper into this magical atmosphere, which is both familiar and excitingly new at the same time. You pause in a street and see glass elements in the ground in front of you.

You stop for a moment and enjoy the scene as you part the flow of people behind you like a stone in a river.

The light from the surrounding stores and lanterns is reflected in the light and the people walking past give you the feeling for a moment that the light is dancing on the glass in front of you.

Only after a while are you able to detach yourself from this special light as your curiosity and excitement drive you further across the city.

After a few interesting strolls, you sit down on a small bench in a side street to let the impressions sink in.

Die Klänge der Nacht sind hier gedämpfter, doch plötzlich hörst du Musik. Erst nach einigen Sekunden wirst du der Musik wirklich gewahr. Sie ist anders als die Klänge der Stadt – lebendig, rhythmisch, und sie scheint dich wie ein unsichtbarer Faden näher zu ziehen.

You follow the sounds, through winding streets and across small crossroads, until you come to a small square.

In the middle of the square in front of you is an old covered wagon, like something out of a Wild West movie, surrounded by people. Some are sitting on blankets, others are making music or dancing.

It’s as if you’ve found an oasis in the middle of the city. A place that exists outside of time. Surrounded by partly illuminated, partly dark old houses, framed as if in a castle courtyard.

As you look around, it seems as if the houses are protecting this place and the people from everything outside. You have the feeling that the scene has been staged just for you.

You stand still, unsure whether you should come closer. But the music and the warmth of the scene draw you in inexorably.

You step closer and watch as dancing couples form, twirl and laugh.

Suddenly, a young woman and a boy step out of the group and towards you. Your gaze falls on them and you scrutinize them for a moment.

The woman is young, certainly just grown up with long, straight red hair. Her striking face with a slightly hooked nose smiles friendly and open.

The boy at her side still looks like a boy. His short, curly black hair looks disheveled from dancing and he smiles at you in a friendly way.

When they reach you, they don’t say a word, but suddenly pull you laughing into the area where the others are dancing to the music.

Although you have no experience of how to dance their folk dance, you simply let the music carry you. Your movements are awkward, but people don’t laugh at you. No, they laugh with you.

You are spontaneous without space and time and simply happy.

You can feel how you belong, how you are simply accepted, as if you had always belonged.

You are part of this moment, this space and this time, your worries, your everyday life dissolve, surrounded by these laughing and dancing people.

After the dance, the young woman, who introduces herself as Nina, leads you to her group.

They are travelers, a family that has created its own little world. As you get closer, they move together and make room for you.

They offer you wine and start telling stories. As if you were simply sitting down with them every evening.

You speak different languages, but with gestures and a mix of English, French and a few Spanish words, you find a way to understand each other.

Marco, an older man with a grey beard, tells you about their life as travelers. “We move from place to place,” he says, “carrying our music and stories with us. We take impressions with us everywhere and leave something of ourselves behind in each place.” There is something mysterious about his words, something that touches you deeply.

He looks at you and smiles out of the wrinkles of his age. “We know that you are one of us too,” he says and you look at him in surprise, “You are a seeker, a traveler who wants to get to know life and people, who wants to connect with them without fear. That makes you more one of us than you realize.”

His words give you food for thought and resonate deeply within you. This conversation, indeed this evening, has turned a new page. Not only in your life, but also in the way you think about yourself and the world around you.

The hours fly by. You dance, laugh, tell stories about exciting places, interesting times and special people.

Nina and Marco show you the covered wagon and she talks about her dreams with shining eyes. She wants to study veterinary medicine in the next big city and one day look after her family’s animals.

Her passion and courage are infectious, and you listen to her with fascination as you sit in a small side alley, away from the others.

As the night slowly turns into morning, you return to the group.

Marco legt dir die Hand auf die Schulter und sieht dich mit einem durchdringenden Blick an. „Du bist offen und freundlich“, sagt er. „Das ist ein Geschenk. Bewahre es dir immer. Verurteile niemals, sondern lerne von jedem, dann wirst du mehr verstehen als die meisten Menschen.“

Zum Abschied bindet er dir ein buntes Tuch um den Hals. „Das Schicksal wird uns eines Tages wieder zusammenführen“, sagt er. Seine Worte klingen wie ein Versprechen, und obwohl du nicht weißt, ob es jemals wahr wird, fühlst du die Wahrheit darin.

The others also shake your hand. You exchange a few words with some of them before Nina and her little brother Antonio accompany you back to your hotel.

The caressing glow of the morning sun warms your faces as you walk through the awakening city together, exchanging a few words.

When you finally reach your hotel, you stop for a moment and just look at each other. You’ve only known each other for a few hours and yet it feels like you’re saying goodbye to a dear friend for a long time.

“I wish you luck and much joy on your paths,” you say. “I hope to see you again and that our paths will cross again one day.”

Nina tritt schließlich auf dich zu, umarmt dich fest und sagt: „Du bist immer willkommen, wohin auch immer dein Weg dich führt.“ Auch der kleine Antonio drückt sich sanft an dich, ein trauriger Ausdruck huscht über seine Züge.

Ihre Worte hallen in dir nach, während du ihnen nachsiehst, wie sie in den Morgen der Stadt in Richtung des Hafens verschwinden.

You linger on the street for a moment, oblivious to the people around you as you think about how much this one night has given you.

Not only the contact with friendly people, many interesting conversations and impressions.

You think of the colorful scarf that is still around your neck in the morning. It is a simple memento – and yet you wear it like a connection to that night, to those people who made you feel at home for a moment.

Sometimes all it takes is a moment of openness to discover a world full of possibilities.

Perhaps one day life will lead you to such a magical place, where strangers become friends and time stands still for a moment.

What do you think? Where did you have the feeling of being part of another world for a moment?

I look forward to your feedback and your stories.