Sonder Journey

A chance meeting decades ago becomes a lifelong love story—and eventually finds its way into my own life. This episode explores Sonder, love that endures, and the quiet ways our stories intertwine across generations.

About 3 or 4 months ago I started going to a new gym. One day, on my way back home, I noticed a crossing guard waving to every car that went by. It was a very deliberate wave. I didn't know what to think about it at first, but after a few days I finally started waving back.

I finally spoke with him to learn about his story. But what I took from my encounter was uncovering a surprising truth about myself.

My father will be traveling back to Italy for the first time since moving to America when he was 5 years old. His family moved to the U.S. in 1955 except for his oldest sister who was 16 at the time. She remained in Italy where she has lived to this day. In this episode my father recounts some interesting family history that he only recently found out from this sister.

On a ride back to the airport, Lewis shared how he fell in love unexpectedly. Finally, after many years of searching his soulmate was guided right to him.

It's amazing where you sometimes find talent. Amar picked me up to bring me back to my hotel when out at a conference in Las Vegas one evening. He told some interesting stories with great enthusiasm, but it wasn't until we heard one of his first song creations that I became hopeful that he would someday eventually end up doing that which he is so obviously talented.

Homelessness (or the unhoused) is a challenging problem in the U.S. Many of these individuals can easily be viewed as insignificant extras in our personal stories, but they all lead rich and complex lives--just as we do. This was a difficult interview to conduct, and the aftermath was even more challenging.

This is an introduction to Sonder Journey.