A personal story about a great person that eventually became a true friend on the road. We met at the border of Montenegro and traveled together till the end of Albania

This is probably on the more personal level, so be warned!

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Are you friends?

Asked a young kid us when we sat eating in a restaurant in Albania, merely a couple of days before are paths parted.

The answer came naturally to my head, "yes we are friends." usually i would never use that word if I just i met a person, but we had gone through so much together in a week that we already had build a friendship to each other.

Albania can be a shock to many and so was it to us and I think it was the country where I was glad I didn't went in alone.

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Inspiring one another

We quickly ended up sharing everything we had and it allowed us to come through both fun and rough times in this mystical country.

Somehow we had a effect on each other to try to make the parts of Albania a little better, almost believing somewhat in karma.
From helping a kid with his badly hurt leg(Phillip is a educated physiotherapist, so he knows his stuff), giving a scared thirsty dog some much needed water or just bringing smiles and positivity to anyone we met on our way.

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Making each other stronger

Phillip was in great shape and you could see he took care of his body, making him way stronger when biking than me. While I'm in perfectly fine shape myself he was very respectful slowing down and making sure he didn't push too much on, making the cycling part a pleasant experience, while he probably just could go way faster. It's sounds like a small thing but when two people bike together and have different speeds, it's important the faster person slows down and he did just that without i had to ask.

In fact Phillip just wanted to help anyone he met on the road and it was very inspiring to see him I action.

But despite Phillip being probably one of the friendliest person I've met, he did have his concerns. This is where my strengths came into play and where I felt I could help him out.

In many situations he didn't feel safe or when '' shit hits the fan'', I very often had to step up and make sure both of us could get on together and feel good at the same time. I guess this has always been my strongest side, no matter how bad things go I usually never loose my temperament and often I rationalize the situation.

And honestly, it felt great to use it for a person that i really think deserved it. He told me he would never have gone into Albania himself. l felt proud that I could bring a feel of safety and let him see this amazing country that proved to be a great eye opener for many things.

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See you later alligator

Our paths split close to the border of Greece where he headed inland and I followed the coast. His journey were 1 day from ending and I now continued alone once again.

I usually use the word goodbye to people I leave on the road, because I know I'm probably not gonna see them again, it's harsh sometimes but the reality.

But this didn't end in a goodbye... This was a guy from Germany I knew I would go and drink another beer with when I return towards Denmark in distant future.

So I told him "see you later"

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So now I'm alone on the road again, one day from getting into Greece, hoping to meet more amazing people like this guy.

I know this post might have looked more like a diary than a post fitted for Steemit, but Steemit have become a platform where I write about everything on my journey, also the things that sometimes are more on a personal experience.

At least I hope someone out there liked it!

Tell me, Have you ever made a strong friendship on your own travels?

-Holm