“Whatcha doin’ man?”

“Answering emails.”

“Aren’t you on vacation? I mean most people don’t travel around living in hostels for work. Unless you’re a hostel critic.”

“Nah. I’m no critic. I am on vacation. And yes, it is work email to answer your next question. I’m really just a cog in the wheel. But I suppose you could call me a workaholic.”

“Whoa. I’m just the opposite. I get hives just thinking about work. I’ve never had a job in my life. At least not a real one. My dad even called me a hobo once.”

The workaholic stopped typing and looked at the hobo. “So how do you survive?”

The hobo shrugged. “I dunno. I wash dishes to get a few meals. I chop firewood. All kinds of little jobs that nobody really wants to do. I get food or a place to stay in return. I’ve been traveling around for a couple years doing it. Eventually, I’ll need to get a job. And I even have one waiting for me. But I just wanna enjoy life for a little while. Y’know?”

The workaholic smiled. “That’s the life. No responsibilities. Nothing to hold you down. Just pack up when you’re done with a place. Just live life in the moment. Day to day.” His smile broadened. “Wow! I envy you.”

The hobo shrugged again. “It was fun for quite a while. But once the third year got started, I realized that I was missing something.”

“What? The stability of home? The responsibilities of life? The nagging of the boss? I think I could do life like you for a while. Maybe forever.”

The hobo shrugged again. Then, he looked down at the floor. “There is something important to all those things. Even the nagging from the boss.” He looked up at the workaholic and smiled a wan smile.

“I suppose, but there is something to the call of the wild too.” The workaholic howled. “Aroooooooo!”

The hobo smiled. “Yes. There is something to that.” He sighed. “But I suppose there is the call of responsibility. And your presence here has amplified that call I have been hearing for a little while now.” He sighed again. I suppose it is time to go home.”

“Wife? Kids?”

The hobo smiled. “No. Nothing like that. Just parents and siblings and the family business. You know. Stuff like that.”

“Yeah. I get it.” The workaholic closed his laptop. “But I think it is time to make a change.” He looked the hobo in the eye. “Even if it is just for a little while.”

The two were silent. Each deep in his own thoughts.

“Thank you.”

The hobo asked, “For what?”

“For helping me realize that I need to live every moment. I need to not worry about the future or the past. Let the day worry about the day. I do not need to worry. I just need to live the best way I know how. Each and every moment. And part of living on vacation is actually just being on vacation. And who knows? Maybe I’ll even decide to become a hobo like you. I don’t have any ties back home either. I just have my job. So who would even notice that I was taking to the road?”

The hobo smiled. “I’ve learned something from you too.”

“What?”

“I’ve learned that we all have responsibilities that we need to take seriously. And now that I have shirked mine for this long, it is time to get back to them.”

The workaholic smiled. “I’m glad we met in this hostel. I never would have dreamed that the course of my life might be changed by a chance encounter.”

The hobo smiled. “Yeah. Me neither.”

***

The next morning, hobo and the workaholic shook hands as they departed.

“Good luck on your next phase of life.”

“You too.” The hobo nodded toward his old backpack strapped to the workaholic’s back. “And take care of that thing. It has sure taken care of me.”

“Definitely.” He patted the bottom of the backpack. “Enjoy life back in the world.”

“Enjoy life away from the world.”

The two hugged and shook hands one last time. Then they turned and walked in opposite directions. The workaholic to the road and the hobo to responsibilities.