Am I arguing that we should abandon our parents' warnings against talking to strangers? Why yes, yes I am. Throughout our lives, we tend to surround ourselves with people who are essentially very similar to us. By doing this, we unknowingly limit ourselves to what we can learn from other people because they aren’t doing things all that different from ourselves. We surround ourselves with people who tend to live near us, go to the same school as us and do the same activities as us. It's simply what we are comfortable with–but what if I told you that you could expand your horizons by doing the very thing you have been told not to do all your life? Below, I am sharing with you a few of my most memorable experiences with strangers, and how they have changed my life. Here are six reasons why you should talk to strangers.

1. If you’re commuting, the trip goes by much faster.

Let’s face it, train rides are the worst when you forget a book and don’t have a charging port in your aisle. This happened to be my situation one particular evening while I was commuting home for the weekend, so I was desperately hoping I could find a relatively empty train car to sleep in for the three hour ride. Unfortunately the train was busier than ever, but I found a seat next to a young man in a business suit who seemed relatively normal. Soon enough, we were having a lively conversation full of laughs and cries that made my three hour commute seem far more than bearable. From him, I learned that goats do not enjoy fast car rides, and that you can be fined up to $1,000 if a lifeguard tells you to stop throwing a Frisbee or a football and you do not comply.

2. You can meet famous people.

If you’ve ever been to Los Angeles, you know how hard it is sometimes to find a bathroom. I was visiting The Last Bookstore with my boyfriend, Michael, when we realized we both urgently needed a bathroom. We asked around and apparently, the closest bathroom was in the Starbucks about three blocks away. We ran. I was done before Michael, so I bought an iced tea and went to sit at a table with a man who was sitting alone. He had a very kind face, and he smiled when I sat down. We began talking, and soon enough, he asked me if I liked Snoop Dogg, to which I replied, of course. He then very matter-of-factly informed me that he was in one of Snoop Dogg’s music videos a few months back. Now, I was pretty skeptical of this news, but I inquired further and asked which song. He told me to look it up on my phone, and sure enough, he had a close up in the music video. Here is a picture of me and this wonderful man who taught me never to doubt a story someone is willing to share with a stranger:

3. Hearing other people’s life stories can give you a wonderful new perspective.

I was riding the train one January evening when a middle aged woman entered through the doors, pushing a shopping cart. She had mismatched clothes, a funny hat, and two different shoes on. She shuffled around the car trying to find a place for her cart while everyone watched. After walking around for a bit, she began placing all of her stuffed animals in the empty seats next to the other passengers, kissing the stuffed animals heads, and telling them that they will be home soon. The only seat left was the one that my bag was in next to me, so I lifted it off and told the woman she could sit here. I proceeded to ask her about her animals and how she came by them, and she told me the most amazing story. Her name was Margaret and she was homeless by choice. Her mother lives in a beachside home in Dana Point and once a week she comes home with new stuffed animals to be washed, sewn, re-fluffed and taken back to San Diego with her. She then gives theses stuffed animals to the homeless children she meets to give them some comfort and love. Margaret taught me to look beyond the appearance of everything because you must look into the heart and soul of what you do not understand in order to fully understand, love and thus change for the better.

4. You can experience the magic of total strangers coming together to form a community, even if it’s only for a few seconds.

A friend of mine commutes to and from work by bus and she always has some interesting stories to tell me. One time, she was sitting on the bench in the bus when something, presumably a hair, kept tickling her ankle. After it got unbearable, she looked down and saw that it was not a hair, but a small snake peeking out of a lady’s purse, and tickling her ankle with its tongue. Freaky, right? Well, that was the worst story, but the last story she told me was easily the best. She had gotten on the bus to head down to the mall for the day. A few stops after hers, an elderly homeless man got on and sat in the seat next her, so she took out one of her earphones to say hello. The man’s eyes got large and he tilted his head slightly closer to her and began softly singing along to the song she was listening to. A smile slowly grew on her face as she too began singing along with this man to “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. Soon enough, the couple behind her started singing, then the group of women across the aisle, the mother in the front and the teenage boys in the back all chimed in. She described it as feeling like a movie, as if this was all preplanned and everyone knew exactly what to do. When the song was over, everyone laughed and continued on with their days, but you could sense they were all a bit happier than they were when they got on the bus. This story taught me that you can be silly and do things out of the ordinary because it just might make people’s day.

5. You can network like nobody’s business.

For any major, networking is important. You meet the right people, or you meet people who know the right people, and all of a sudden your name is known and you have some great references. This is one of the biggest advantages to talking to strangers; you never know who they are or who they work for and they could end up being the key to your future success. Once again, while I was on the train commuting home, I met a woman who has written three novels, one of which has been featured on the New York Times Best Sellers List. My heart almost leaped out of my chest and my stomach felt like it was doing some Simone Biles flips because, as a Literature major, this was a dream come true. I was probably annoying the life out of this amazing woman with all my questions, but the advice she gave me was second to none. We talked about our favorite novels, about her dreams when she was in college, what led her to writing a novel and how she was so successful with her writing while other very notable and beautifully written novels were simply overlooked. Before I got off the train, I asked her if I could have her name in case I found myself needing a mentor in the future. She gave me all her information and told me to give her a call or write a letter if I ever needed anything. This woman taught me so much about my potential future, but most of all, she reminded me that you’ll never know what you missed out on by not talking to a stranger.

6. You can learn, grow and experience things that you would never have imagined unless you talked to this person.

If I had kept to myself on the train, in the park, on the street, in the coffee shop or anywhere else, I would not be the same person I am today. I have never finished a conversation with someone and thought, “I didn’t get a single thing out of talking to this person.” These perfect strangers have given me incredible advice that I hold very dear, they have made me laugh so hard I cried, they have tugged at my heart strings with their life stories, they have inspired me with their strength and perseverance and they have broken countless stereotypes. These strangers have shown me how truly blessed we are to be able to live so many different lives that somehow all intertwine to form a beautiful web of humanity. So go out and talk to some strangers, because once you talk to a stranger, they become a part of you.