My Mini Me

The fun thing about traveling is that you get to meet people totally unlike you — people who’ve lived completely different experiences, grown up with entirely different customs, and whose day-to-day routine isn’t what you’re used to. But every once in a while, you meet someone who’s not so unlike you at all.

Case in point: A few weeks ago, I was waiting for a show at Second City to start (if you’re in Chicago, I highly recommend it — but more on that later) when I started talking with the woman next to me. When she found out I was a writer, she turned to her teenage daughter and told her. The daughter’s done a lot of writing for publications while in high school, and told me she’s heading to college this fall to major in communication.

“Oh, that’s what  majored in, too! Where are you going to school?”

“The University of Pennsylvania,” she replied.

“Oh my goodness — that’s where I went!” I said. I talked to her a little bit about the school and the journalism options on campus. She, much like me, had the opportunity to go to a great school closer by, but chose Penn instead.

“Do you know yet what dorm you’ll be in?” I asked.

“Fisher,” she responded. I just happened to be an RA in Fisher-Hassenfeld my senior year. “I’m going to be in the Media & Communications program there,” she continued. And I just happened to be an RA for that very same program! (We did find one difference: She’ll be on the third floor; I was on the second.)

Sure, in places like New Jersey, it wouldn’t be so weird to run into someone going to my alma mater, but the similarities were pretty amazing — she pretty much was me eight years ago. I like meeting people from diverse backgrounds when I travel, but it’s also nice to meet someone who’s a lot like you.