Hello Stranger 365
Hello Stranger 365 Project
While in Bali in December 2024, I was struck by a paradox: young travelers in this paradise, physically surrounded by peers yet emotionally isolated behind screens. This observation sparked a simple mission: have one meaningful conversation with a stranger every day for a year. Through this project, I'm documenting how these small moments of connection ripple outward, creating community where isolation once existed.
The trust required in hitchhiking, the resilience needed as an expatriate parent, and countless conversations with strangers worldwide have taught me that looking up and saying "hello" creates magic that no screen can replicate. Hello Stranger 365 is the culmination of these lifetime lessons—and an invitation for you to rediscover this magic in your own life.
What started as personal curiosity has become a mission: proving that genuine human connection isn't lost—it's simply waiting for us to engage. This continuing study merges sociological research, global travel experiences, and real human encounters to rebuild bridges back to community in our screen-dominated world.
Simple encounters create lasting impact. A brief exchange with a stranger builds bridges across generations, cultures, and experiences—reminding us that beneath our differences lies shared humanity. These moments require presence, courage, and an open heart, creating connections that can't be replicated digitally.
📸 “"When I got $150,000 compensation for 19 years of torture, I gave it all to my kids." Met Spearo on Swanston St yesterday—his story one that every Australian should hear.
Stolen from his family at 6 months old. 19 years in Nazareth House, Ballarat. Then 40 years walking this country as a painter, building families, searching for his roots.
"It was never about the money," he told me about testifying to the commission. "It was about justice." A tattoo cross on his arm once read "JC" for Jesus Christ, but he changed it to "CJ"—Country Justice.
He recently found his sister and learned his mother was Aboriginal—a heritage he was denied knowing his entire childhood.
We talked about the referendum, about land never ceded. His eyes lit up only when speaking of Central Australia—"the heart of it all."
This connection is part of my HelloStranger365 project—documenting the stories we miss when we rush past each other on busy streets.
Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.
#StolenGenerations #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #HelloStranger365 #MelbourneStories #ListeningMatters #FirstNations #Truth #Reconciliation
My favourite chance encounter on Swanston Street reveals Spearo's journey from stolen child to justice advocate—proof that every stranger has a story worth hearing