Kindness · New York City, USA
Subway conversation leads to friendship and funded Puerto Rico trip
Updated
How did a subway conversation in New York lead to a trip to Puerto Rico?
Molly Selin, 27, met 81-year-old Maria on a New York subway in May 2026 and promised to help her fulfil her dream of visiting her native Puerto Rico. Selin's TikTok post about the meeting drew more than 3 million views. Delta and Hilton offered flights and a place to stay for a trip planned for July.
What happened?
On 1 May 2026, Molly Selin, 27, was riding the New York subway home from a work trip when the woman next to her asked her a question. Over a 40-minute conversation, Selin learned that the woman, Maria, was 81 and had lived a difficult life.
Maria told Selin her dream: to return to her native Puerto Rico, which she had left more than seven decades earlier. She was an anxious flyer and had never flown home. Selin promised to help her make the trip and offered to go with her.
How did it spread?
The next day, Selin shared the story on TikTok under the title “Take your AirPods Out.” The post drew more than 3 million views.
The two became friends. Selin goes to Maria’s apartment for dinner every week and shares their visits in a TikTok series called “Mondays With Maria.”
What happened next?
After the post, brands offered to help. TODAY reports that Delta gifted the pair free flights and said it would send Uber vouchers, and Hilton offered to book a place to stay. The week-long trip was scheduled for July 2026. Selin also started a GoFundMe page for Maria.
“We don’t know how this happened, but it really was meant to happen,” Selin told TODAY.
Sources & reporting notes
We checked TODAY's report of 9 June 2026, based on an interview with Molly Selin. Maria's surname was not published. The trip was planned for July 2026; we have not confirmed that it took place.
What changed
- Rewrote the article from its cited source and removed process, monitoring and outcome claims the source did not support.
- TODAY · 9 June 2026
Interview with Molly Selin about meeting Maria, the viral post and the planned trip.
Have a correction or a confirmed update? Contact our editorial team.
Common questions
- Who helped pay for the Puerto Rico trip?
- TODAY reports that Delta gifted free flights and said it would send Uber vouchers, and Hilton offered to book a place to stay. Selin also started a GoFundMe page for Maria.
- Did the trip happen?
- The trip was scheduled for July 2026, according to TODAY's June report. We have not confirmed that it took place.