I was taking an overnight bus from Quito to Guayaquil to catch a flight out of Guayaquil to Cusco, Peru. I hadn’t slept much the night before-given I went out to a live music show for a friend of mine’s fundraiser for the safe house that she works at for girls who have been sex-trafficked (she’s amazing I know).

I knew I would fall asleep on the bus, so I didn’t mind being out until the sun broke the star built clouds in the sky the night before.

I had an uneasy feeling while in my uber to Quitumbe-the bus terminal in the South of Quito. I had no idea why-this feeling also accompanied me two days prior when I had a conflict with my visa and had to go to migration to purchase a 90 day extension, but that is a story in its own.

I figured the nerves came from me traveling completely by myself on an overnight bus-something I haven’t done in months, since being in Patagonia, Argentina.

It was April 13th, my late grandfather’s birthday and I was sat in seat 13. With this, I suddenly felt at ease.

A nice woman sat next to me and we exchanged soft smiles, both of us too tired and perhaps just not feeling like conversing.

About two hours into the bus trip the bus stopped for a bathroom/dinner break at a restaurant on the side of the highway with the ghost of lush green mountains in the background, given it was dark out. People started exiting the bus, but the woman and I both stayed on.

She answered a phone call and changed her position, I noticed a lotus flower tattoo on her right ankle. I have a lotus flower tattoo on my right ankle because to me it symbolizes quite a few things, such as living in the present and growing from harsh circumstances.

I pointed out the similarity and we both laughed at just how crazy that is.

There really isn’t much more to the story, but for me it is incredible to think at some point in time- a woman all the way on the opposite side of the world was sitting and receiving the same tattoo I had. Showing that humans, no matter where, the culture, or whatever else can share something so much in common without even knowing it. That is beautiful isn’t it?

What a wonderful captured instance.