What Happens When You Stay Open to Conversation

Dialogue Miles

Feb 24

Late afternoon travel across time zones can create stress, knowing that when you land there is another drive ahead of you. You get the obligatory pretzels and water, open the laptop, put the headphones in, and off you go.

Occasionally, the person next to me engages in a conversation, which in this case turned the arduous journey into a joy-filled experience.

An Unexpected Conversation

On my flight from Phoenix this week, Natali Houston provided that much needed break and once again confirmed that the power of Dialogue Miles™ makes a difference.

What Surfaced Along the Way

🔹 Our early years help form us

Natali shared her early years story as a child in the Dominican Republic. One symbolic story was trading bottles for pesos. The money she earned from trading bottles was usually used to buy candy, but that day her family did not have any money for food. She doesn't know if it was divine intervention, but as soon as she saw the 50-peso bill, she ran home as fast as she could and gave the money to her mother so she could buy a meal for the family. The amount surprised her, as she had expected to receive only 5 pesos.

🔹 Being a proud parent

We talked about her 18-month-old and my 30-year-olds. Different stages of life, but the love of family is mutual.

🔹 Finding our passion can feel like a calling

Our lives are filled with unique moments that form a picture and often a message about where we can help the world. Hers is the Dominican and mine is Dialogue Miles.

🔹 Listening with patience matters

I was doing some work when we began talking. I took the first earpiece out and listened. A few minutes later, they both came out as I realized this was a one-moment-in-time opportunity.

🔹 Why we choose to share

Natali mentioned that she doesn't often share her story yet in this case she chose to express herself. I was really impacted by her honesty, humbleness and genuine caring. She inspired me to share some of my history too, resulting in an unexpectedly therapeutic and joyful experience!

A Moment of Connection

Our final conversation centered around Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance.

Natali shared how Bad Bunny’s performance felt like a reflection of her community; a set that connected with her early years, beautiful music and dancing, pride in a community often under-represented, and belonging.

Meeting Natali, confirmed for me that Dialogue Miles™ allows me to move toward someone else’s lived joy where we often discover that we have so much in common.