In an age when people are often absorbed in their own bubbles of different gadgets and social media, it's incredible to hear stories of how individuals can form unlikely connections through technology. One man discovered this when he lost his iCloud-synced iPod while abroad, only to find that his phone was receiving images captured by the device's new owner. “I could visit every country in the world and not having something so amazing happen in my life,” the traveler said of his unexpected experience. Through one stranger's uploads, he was able to see the world through a completely different set of eyes.
Meet Scott Herder, an adventurer and aspiring photographer.
He's currently on an 8-month backpacking trip across Southeast Asia, which he's documenting on his website.
Four months ago, he was traveling in Laos, taking in the beautiful sights…
…when he lost his iPod Touch in the chaos of being constantly on the move. Figuring that what's done is done, he accepted the fact that it was gone and didn't dwell on it further–that is, until an unfamiliar picture appeared on his iPhone one day:
Soon, whenever his phone connected to the internet, more photos of a monk and his friends started popping up.
Herder realized that his lost iPod, which was still synced to his iCloud account, had somehow ended up in the hands of a monk who enjoyed snapping pictures of his daily life.
As time went on, Herder began looking forward to learning more about his new friend through each synced photo.
The monk seemed to enjoy selfies…
…traveling…
…and making new friends…
…especially with foreigners!
All in all, a fun-loving, goofball guy whom Herder says he would like to meet.
Herder says he's found it fascinating to learn more about the similarities and differences between their everyday lives through the eyes of the monk.
“At the end of the day, I am extremely surprised to see how, even though we come from such different backgrounds, we are incredibly similar when it comes to wanting to document our travels and our lives,” he wrote on BuzzFeed.
Although Herder has no way to contact his new friend, he says he hopes that the updates keep coming.
