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You know it’s going to be a great party, when the Servas Canada Deputy National Secretary from Toronto walks in, and immediately recognizes guests who have travelled all the way from Australia, as she stayed with them at their home – years ago…. Now how is that for coincidence?…….. The evening was full of energy, connections, and insights into the world of Servas, which contributes to the awareness of world peace. And of course, sharing stories of our travels and of travellers’ visits is always delightful.

In early June, my husband Bob and I drove about three hours out of our town to stay with local hosts Daryl and Dina H in Telkwa. Ever heard of Telkwa? For the curious – google “Who invented the egg carton?” And a few weeks later, D and D stayed with us; they are now good friends! So, may I recommend to Servas members – to not forget their neighbourhood hosts.

Sometimes when I mention Servas to people, a reaction is “aren’t you afraid to invite strangers into your home?” The answer is a most definite “no.” I don’t think of them as strangers, but as fellow travellers and friends that I haven’t met before, who will spend an evening or two with me, sharing stories and ideas. I recently remarked about a visit with a 65-year-old woman from the Netherlands that it “just felt like having a sleepover with an old friend.” What has surprised me most about hosting is that age and gender seem irrelevant. A pair of twenty-something young men who were bicycling across the country seemed perfectly at home in the midst of a “happy hour” with a dozen of my 50+ year old friends. Servas hospitality bridges cultural gaps across ages but in a world where we hear much negativity, I have met many youth involved in their communities and interested in and curious about the world around them.

For 13 months, I backpacked around the world - I was 50. Can you imagine how Servas played a role? My first host, in Thailand, replied to my enquiry with “The key is under the mat.” Sikh hosts living in Malaysia shared with me their sad reality that even as professionals, racism was such that they were considered to be the bottom of the social ladder. My Mumbai shared in mediation and offered me a sleeping place on the roof. As a psychologist, I had the opportunity to work with local Zagreb social workers. In Paris, my visually impaired host did not allow her disability to limit our touring; we went to places tourists seldom see like the huge and hectic Asian market. My Swedish hosts, a wonderful couple, cultural workers who played music on traditional instruments and at puppet shows. This trip was amazing because of the kind people who received me into their homes and their hearts!

Meeting Servas members has always been an enriching experience; chatting with people from other walks of life or learning why certain places or customs are special to them. It’s like being able to see something new through my own eyes, but also through those of someone else. I feel very lucky to be part of this process.

Visiting Servas hosts adds a wonderful opportunity to speak my second language – how great to have real conversations on a wide range of topics with people who not only share my values, but are also willing to help out with vocabulary!

As a global community, Servas encourages its members to travel the back roads of faraway places, meet and engage with local people and events. Our experience of Servas hosts is that they are friendly, welcoming, and genuinely interested in international relations with a commitment to world peace.

When I joined Servas, I had no idea how it would change my life. I have met amazing hosts and travellers from all over the world who have generously shared their homes and their lives. I see my world differently through their eyes, and I am surprised at how many connections we find even though our history, languages, and experiences are different. These connections are simply magical.