Surprise! Chance encounters vs.'planned discovery'

Two apparently unrelated things happened to me today: finally having made it to Art Chicago, I bumped into a friend of a friend, an antique dealer from Sao Paulo. Someone I barely knew back in Brazil, but given the (pleasant) 'shock' - for what are the odds of seeing someone like this, who just flew in for a couple of days, we had a good time together looking at old fountain-pens first and at the Chicago skyline later on.
I always appreciated this kind of surprises that life has in store for us.
Surprises, yes, be they good or bad. Maybe I like them because they give me an idea of freedom. It has a relaxed feel of 'if it's meant to be, it will be' and if not, don't worry about it.

Then I got home and had to do some research for my upcoming job interview. Having pretty much exhausted the 'serious', 'professional' stuff, I decided to check out the person who is going to interview me. On one hand, I am more than ever excited to meet her, for she seems to be one of these rare, intellectually-challenging women I could indeed learn a lot from. On the other hand, though, I found out all the tid-bits of information that could be potentially useful (in order to create an even better climate during the interview), except for I wouldn't want to use any of it to my advantage.
Info about the place she grew up in (which I know), her favorite museum (my favorite museum store object is from there), a previous agency she worked at (my, I knew many people there and worked for some of her ex-colleagues!)
And that's why in my mind the 2 events of today - a chance encounter with an aquiaintance that became a friend and these potential 'friend-making' info bits - all became part of one.

A gentleman whom I met earlier today became my friend naturally. There was no research involved, no planning. It was meant to be.
A lady I will meet the day after tomorrow might very well become a role-model & a friend. If it's in the books. I just wish I could forget this 'research chapter' I uncovered.
Using the info I unearthed would feel surprisingly close to cheating.
Or rather: I am not an idealist & I know that certain things help.
But I am a 'naturalist' & by that I mean that there's nothing better than accidential discovery. Like finding out about her favorite museum or some people we both know would be so much more fun, had it happened spontaneously.
Oh well.
No going back now.
It was meant to be!