With my left eye squeezed shut and my right eye buried in my camera’s viewfinder, I spotted an adorable couple wearing matching orange sweatshirts with their feet dangling over a stone wall as they watched the sunset over the Duoro River in Porto, Portugal.
Palacio de Cristal is a quieter location with far fewer tourists than the hundreds who gather every night at Jardim do Morro — another spot with spectacular views.
I first took a wide shot of the couple but quickly zoomed in and established my focus when I saw the gentleman reaching for the bottle of wine they were sharing.
They were carrying on a conversation, softly touching each other’s hands, appreciating their surroundings and enjoying each other’s company. They were truly living in the moment and I was the smiling witness. He poured the wine, she smiled looking at her empty glass filling up and then smiled at him, the two locked eyes and then delicately tapped their glasses together to cheers. I took a burst of about 20 photos. “So amazing!” I said aloud to myself, realizing I captured the perfect shot and from quite a distance. I could feel their love in the photo.
There’s something so special about a still photograph evoking some sort of emotion. I quickly transferred the picture to my iPhone and walked up the hill to introduce myself. The two of them spoke Spanish but their faces lit up when I turned my phone around to reveal the picture. She grabbed his arm out of excitement and he smiled back at her. It was quite cute! I sent them the photos and returned to my spot on the cliff to continue watching the gorgeous sunset.
I love LOVE. I love seeing people happy. I love when people smile. I love when people have fun. As I explored Porto and Lisbon for eight days I couldn’t stop taking pictures of strangers simply enjoying life. Tourists in Cascais, musicians in Porto, couples loving on each other, strangers at the train station.
Traveling solo puts a sharper lens on how other people interact with their partners, families and friends. Every time I eat alone at a restaurant, every time I walk alone through a city, every time I ride the train alone to my next destination, I am paying such close attention to how people connect.
I smile at the young couples who can’t keep their hands off each other. I smile at the longtime married couples who look at each other with mutual admiration. I smile at the friends high-fiving in the water (see below). I smile at the people posing for photos in front of popular landmarks. I smile at the table of people who send laughter billowing through the restaurant.
I probably smile the hardest at airport or train station reunions. I’ll stop in my tracks for the show if I I see someone with a sign waiting for someone to arrive. The homemade signs, flowers, balloons, anticipation, surprise, smiles, tears, happy jumping — I love it all. There is so much love behind every reunion. Surprisingly, I never ambush the people and ask about the reunion. Instead, I just make up a story in my mind about how they probably haven’t seen each other in 15 years and how special it must be to see each other after years of FaceTime and phone calls. My heart explodes every time I see the warm embrace. If we are supposed to do things in life that make us feel alive then I need to prioritize watching airport reunions more often. I think it’s the combination of knowing one person put in the effort to be there at a specific time and place and the other person getting to feel so welcomed and loved.
We must always be searching for moments of joy to balance the overwhelming problems in this world that demand our attention and sometimes that joy might come from people we don’t even know.
When that joy stops you in your tracks, take time to enjoy the show!
The Coffee Break 
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