Page 45 of Something Like Fate

“Thanks for bringing me here. It was really sweet. And thoughtful,” I say, cheeks aching from smiling so much.

“Hey, I still have one more place I want to show you.”

He drives us a ways from the bustle to an area with fewer lights, fewer people. It’s quiet, more intimate. He parks on a side street and leads me up a hill toward a massive stone gate, its dramatic silhouette casting shadows on the cobblestone.

From there, we stroll through the garden pathways and make our way to a terrace.

“Best view in Rome,” he says, gesturing to the panoramic view of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.

We saw it earlier today, but it’s an entirely different experience at night. It’s almost majestic against the black sky, arches dramatically backlit in rich gold.

“You mentioned you were going to major in history?” I say.

“Yeah. I love history. But I’ve never been a good student.”

“Really? That surprises me. It seems like you know everything. Dates, facts ...” And I mean it. Every time someone asks him a question, he can pretty much answer it.

“I don’t learn well through books and research,” he says. “I learned most of what I know from actual travel, from talking to people and listening.”

“Is there anywhere you haven’t traveled?”

“Tons of places. All of South America, and the US.”

“Where in the States do you want to go?”

“I want to see New York City for sure, and the entire West Coast. And your hometown, of course,” he adds with a wink.

My heart thumps at the thought. “God, it would be so depressing showing you around. I mean, it’s nice. It’s home. But compared to this ... and the food. It would be embarrassing.”

“First, you can find beauty anywhere. And I wouldn’t be going there for the food.” At that, my heart soars. It’s confirmation all this isn’t in my head.

“Have you always been this way?” I ask, unable to pull my gaze from the freckles on his nose, sun kissed from hours spent exploring the world.

He gives me a goofy smile. “What way?”

“Free spirited, curious, easygoing—”

“Keep it coming,” he says with a smirk, clearly flattered. “But no, I was actually the opposite. I was kind of an outcast growing up.”

“You? An outcast? I don’t see it.”

“Oh yeah. I was obsessed with nature. Always running around in the woods at our cottage, making random animal traps and bows and arrows. Trying to pretend I was aSwiss Family Robinsonkid.”

“Okay, but at what point did you become this super fit surfer type who meditates daily?”

He wrinkles his nose. “Literally last year when I left home.”

“Only last year?”

“I had a bit of an epiphany while watching the news with my parents. All I kept seeing was conflict, mostly over religion or ideology. I just thought ... so many things in the world would be solved if we understood each other better, really lived in each other’s shoes. And then I realized I’m a huge hypocrite who doesn’t know anything about the world and lives in a bubble. If I really wanted to make any change and avoid the rat race, I should get off my ass and walk the walk. So I did.”

“I love that you’re so passionate about travel. It’s contagious.”

“I can’t picture doing anything else,” he says. “Like a desk job? Forget it. It seems like everyone—my siblings, for example—is living this corporate bore of a life. My sister is super materialistic. She’s always buying the newest bags and shit just to compete with friends or to take a picture for social media. And sure, getting something new makes her happy for five minutes. But it’s fleeting. At the end of the day, I think she’s pretty miserable.”

I think about Aunt Mei and how hard she’s worked to achieve her position. Sure, she’s got money, but she doesn’t like to spend it unless she’s getting a deal. Between all the late nights and weekends spent in the office, I’m not sure she’s any happier than she was at the beginning of her career.

He continues, “I actually think I’d die if I couldn’t be out in the world, living and experiencing. Without adventure.”

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