Shannon P., 21, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA

I was asked the question: "How would you liked to be remembered after you die?" I sat for a few minutes and really thought about it. Getting older and wiser, I realized that I don't care if people remember what my name was, what my profession was or where I was from. I do know that I want all those acquaintances I have met along the way-- those people you bump into on the subway, on the bus or walking down the street--to remember the experience we had together if it moved them because I know I will hold on to experiences like that. I want them to remember that time and place where we shared our stories and laughs. I hope for that person they will take what I have shared with them and either become a better person or years down the road, look back and tell their grandchildren or friends how they met a nice Irish girl and then relay a story I shared with them. For me, that is what I value--the thought of meeting new people throughout my life and seeing them smile. I don't think there is a better gift in life than the gift of meeting new people. Remember! Next time you're walking somewhere and see a random person, sit down next to them and strike up a conversation.

I remember once sitting on the Seine River in Paris with my friend I was backpacking with. These two girls were sitting about 20 feet away and I just randomly went up and and started a convo. We started bullshitting and we ended up buying a couple bottles of wine and just sitting there for hours talking about the most random things and about how different our cultures were. By the end of the night, one of the girls invited us into her home where we crashed for 2 days; she then decided on a spontaneous whim to travel with us for 3 days in France showing us around. Now, a year later, she is coming to visit New York for the first time and she's staying with me for 5 days.  So like I said, you really never know who you may meet. You never know what you may find out or how a person may be able to change your thoughts or opinions on things.



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