Ties that bind

Friendship is a funny thing.  

Most of my friends in the States have been good friends of mine for a long time.  We have a lot in common: school, beliefs, shared experiences, interests, work, family, etc.  I think this is true for most people, we tend to gravitate toward people that are similar to us.

Friendship far from home often looks a little different.  At one point our closest friend group consisted of an Athiest from Australia, a stict Muslim from Syria who had grown up in London, a Jew from the Northeast, a Christian from the Midwest, an environmentalist Buddhist from the Pacific Northwest, and a non-religious guy from Hong Kong.  Despite the fact that we represented quite a melting pot of religious diversity, I can't remember a single conversation concerning religion.  

I guess when you're far away from home and people who are very similar to you, differences start to matter a lot less.  For example, just the fact that a person speaks English is a huge unifying factor.  

We often travel with a group of 15 or so friends.  I have tried to imagine how complicated this would be in the States.  However, for this group it's no problem at all, and we're travelling in China which is no easy task for even ONE person.  We're eating all together, doing activities all together, splitting bills, paying deposits, etc, yet we rarely, if ever, have an issue.   After trying to figure out why this works so seamlessly, I finally realized that despite our religious, political, background, family and nationality differences, we have one key factor in common: an "up for anything" personality.  

I guess to move across the world, learn enough Chinese to survive, appreciate another culture and branch out enough to make friends with people who are different from you, you have to have a bit of an adventurous nature.  As a result, despite our differences, we're on the same page more often than not.

Whatever the reason for these unique friendships may be, they have taught me a lesson about people, which I hope will stay with me even when I'm back home.  Friendship is more than just having a similar viewpoint.  Developing relationships with people who are different from you grows you, stretches you, and makes you a more interesting person.  It doesn't mean you have to lose yourself or compromise who you are, as a matter of fact it often gives more meaning and substance to your personality to have people around who challenge you.

We all live, learn, lament, laugh and love.  In the end, maybe we're not that different after all.