Day: September 8, 2025

• I usually keep to myself on flights, but recently spent hours talking to my 95-year-old seatmate.
• I learned about her life and how much she values making friends through solo travel.
• Now we’re pen pals, and she’s inspired me to travel more and connect with the people around me.

When I boarded a flight in Paris earlier this summer, I had no idea that I would step off the plane in Boston with a new pen pal and friend — especially someone with nearly three times my life experience.

I live in Bulgaria, and recently took a trip to the US with a connecting flight at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. I typically enjoy spending a transatlantic flight watching a couple of movies, listening to music, and catching some sleep (if I’m lucky).

This trip was different from the moment I sat down.

Instead of keeping to myself, I became engrossed in conversation with my seatmate, Anne, a 95-year-old woman returning from a three-month stay in Paris. I was immediately captivated by her positive energy, boundless curiosity, and enthusiasm for life.

What started as a simple question (“Where are you flying from?”) turned into a conversation that took up nearly the entire flight, interrupted only by a couple of cat naps and glasses of prosecco.

Anne and I instantly connected over our love of travel

As a frequent solo traveler, I quickly learned I was in good company with Anne, who’s said she’s been traveling alone to Paris every year since 2015. She doesn’t go on group tours, rents a single room in the city, and prefers exploring by herself.

Still, she connects with people wherever she goes — over the past 10 years, Anne has built a vibrant community of friends in Paris.

Anne told me about how she even started teaching herself French because locals appreciate visitors who make an effort to speak their language. Hearing about her relationships inspired me to make more of an effort to form friendships while traveling, too.

After all, if I hadn’t struck up a conversation on that flight, I would’ve missed out on getting to know a really special person.

We spent almost the entire plane ride swapping stories, and I learned about her family and interests. Anne told me how she’s an ardent tanguera who, until recently, danced with the Tango Society of Boston. She’s even traveled to Buenos Aires to study the Argentine tango, her favorite style of the dance.

On the flight, I even saw firsthand how she takes any opportunity to practice her French. At one point, I helped her navigate her seatback touchscreen as she insisted on listening to a movie in French in order to keep her language skills sharp.

Now, she’s my pen pal — and she continues to give me valuable advice on living a full life

Aside from brief pauses here and there, our conversation flowed seamlessly as one question ran into the next. When we touched down in Boston, Anne and I snapped a selfie and exchanged emails so we could stay connected.

She’s also shared advice for young travelers: “Go young, go often, and go long.” Anne’s visits to Paris have given her a lifetime of memories and friendships, and I feel lucky to now be a part of her story.

Something else I learned, though, is the importance of connection. Meeting Anne has reinvigorated my desire to embark on more solo travel, and also to meet new people along the way.

Anne hopes to return to Paris in the spring, good health willing. I truly hope she will be able to take another trip to her favorite city, and perhaps one day I’ll be able to meet her there.