Heartwarming Kindness from Strangers: Travel Stories and the Rise & Smile App

Have you ever been touched by extraordinary kindness from a stranger while traveling? Not just a polite greeting, but a gesture that truly stops you in your tracks. I'll never forget the family I met on a flight from Sicily to Spain. They welcomed me warmly and even invited me to stay at their home in Madrid.

This encounter was a pivotal moment in my life, igniting my passion for travel. I believed such genuine warmth from strangers was unique to journeys abroad.

As a young traveler in my twenties, I naively assumed this kindness was exclusive to other cultures and doubted it would happen in my home country. While I've since learned otherwise, travelers often encounter these magical moments more frequently.

Today, with technology, we can connect globally through video chats and real-time conversations, experiencing kindness from strangers daily without leaving home.

I'm passionate about supporting initiatives that promote positivity, so when Dignity Health invited me to share their Rise & Smile app—designed to spread human kindness worldwide—I eagerly agreed.

The Rise & Smile App: Spreading Kindness One Smile at a Time

"We think the world would be a kinder place if we all began the day in a good mood. Set your alarm and wake to messages of kindness from people around the world. Then submit your own (6-10 second) kind video for others. And just like that, you’ve spread some human kindness."

This free app is available for both Android and iOS. Record short videos like Vine—pause and resume as needed within 6-10 seconds.

Although the app doesn't allow direct sharing of my video here, I've included a simple example recorded on my phone to show how easy it is to contribute to the Rise & Smile community.

To start spreading kindness, click here to download the app or learn more about Rise & Smile.

Disclosure: This post is part of a paid partnership with Dignity Health. All opinions are my own, based on personal experience.