I’m happy to report there’s one more adventure I can cross off my bucket list—the Roswell, New Mexico UFO Festival! My husband and I spent four days exploring the infamous area where many believe an alien spacecraft crashed in July of 1947. Thousands converge on this small town every summer to celebrate the crash. We expected to see lots of crazy photo-worthy sights, but what we didn’t expect to find was a whole lot of kind and generous people.

Our first encounter occurred after we landed at the Roswell airport. Our efforts to summon an Uber or hail a taxi failed miserably. As we stood outside on the hot, dusty pavement contemplating our options, a man asked if he could give us a ride to our hotel. Even though I’d spoken briefly to his daughter moments ago, we eyed him suspiciously before taking a leap of faith and accepting. Twenty minutes later, our new friend Mike cheerfully deposited us at our accommodations and refused our efforts to pay him for his trouble.

Upon checking in, we learned that Ubers and taxis were in short supply—not on account of the UFO Festival, but because they didn’t exist. However, Howard could take us downtown when we were ready. We soon discovered that seventy-something Howard owned a private taxi service and had been driving a cab in Roswell for thirty years. No ticking meters, no visible logs, just friendly transportation with a bit of marital advice thrown in for free.

Our next stop was the UFO Museum. Mid-afternoon on the first day of the festival was the perfect time for a leisurely stroll through the exhibits as the crowds had yet to descend on the town. A museum representative, Melvin, checked us in and recommended that we purchase three-day passes instead of single day tickets in order to avoid long lines for the rest of the weekend. His advice was spot-on and saved us lots of time over the next few days.

We had an unforgettable trip to Roswell, immersing ourselves in stories of UFOs and aliens. But as much as we enjoyed the primary focus of our trip, it was the simple, random acts of kindness by the townspeople that made all the difference. Maybe we can all try to make the world a little kinder.