Travel is an enormous privilege. As a writer and a professor, I get to move through the world in a way that was out of reach for my ancestors and is still out of reach for many people. I’m grateful my life allows me to do these things, so in turn, I do what I can to help the people I meet feel seen. I read name tags and call staff members by their names; if I don’t know how to pronounce one, I ask. I open myself up for small talk. Sometimes people I meet want to know about the world that I’m from, and I listen as they tell me about theirs. Because regardless of what someone does for a living, they’re a person—each with their own stories and dreams.

Some folks just want to do their jobs and aren’t in the mood to chat with guests. Maybe they’re too busy to care. I know I’ve had those days. But I have also seen that a thoughtful compliment can make somebody’s day. At the end of a hotel stay, I mention to the manager the people who provided impeccable service or paid meticulous attention to detail that went above my expectations.

Before I leave my hotel room for the day, I also write a few lines to housekeeping. “Thank you for providing me with a safe, clean place to stay,” I jot on a piece of hotel stationery, which I put on the TV stand along with my daily gratuity, usually between $10 and $20 on the days I request housekeeping. If I order in-room breakfast multiple days in a row, I leave compliments for the cook in the margins of the menu before I place my order on the doorknob. I don’t expect anything when I leave my notes and tips. This is just my way of telling the people I don’t see face to face that I appreciate them. – Latrice Graham