I get a lot of stares. Eyes don’t just hold me a bit longer than normal, heads turn to track my path down the street. And this is completely ok; most of the time it doesn’t bother me, and I knew this would probably happen. It’s a strange feeling though, to know you’re being watched. It’s another level of consciousness, and while I’m certain some of it is rooted my own insecurity, I am suddenly very aware of my movements and how I must look walking down the road with my backpack and camera bag. And it’s a bit awkward, especially when I meet the eyes of the people I pass by. So to break this stiff scrutiny (on both our parts), I started doing something nobody ever seems to expect: I smile and wave. And what I didn’t expect? As soon as I engage, without a moment’s hesitation their faces break out into truly some of the most genuine smiles I’ve ever seen. Smiles that quite frankly, I don’t think I would get from a stranger back at home. They look so happy, which only makes me grin even more. It’s simple, but it undeniably brightens my mood. I wave, they wave back. I smile, they smile back. That’s all.