At first, I was a bit hesitant to make a post about this, but as I gave more thought into the matter, I realized that I have in fact traveled with many people over the years. A lot more than I initially thought.
And it was through these travels that I had learned quite a few things about not only my friends, but myself as well. I learned who my friends are and who aren’t. Inevitably, some friendships grew stronger, some weakened, and some stayed the same.
And despite the fact that some friendships weakened afterwards, I still adore traveling with friends. Certainly, it is a bitter pill to swallow when you realize that a certain someone isn’t meant to be in your life for the long run, another way to look at it is that traveling exposes who your real friends are.
It’s a good way to think about it, isn’t it?
Most friendships are due to proximity
Normally, this wouldn’t be anyone’s first thought after traveling with friends, but it was mine. As I have been lucky enough to maintain friendships both online and offline for many years, I’ve had the opportunity to compare and contrast such friendships during travel. My conclusion?
Travel is a quick way unearth the friendships that are here to stay, and those that only exist due to proximity.
By proximity, I mean that you’re only friends with people from the office because of work, people from school because of assignments, people from the gym because of exercise, etc etc etc. And when you take away that one thing holding you guys together, that friendship doesn’t stick.
But you know what? That’s just fine. It just means I know exactly which friends I can rely on, and which ones I shouldn’t invest too much time and emotion on.
You will learn a lot more about your friends
I believe that when you travel with someone, you learn a lot more about them than you would in regular life. This is because instead of just meeting them outside of your home, you’d be with them while you’re out and about right up till the moment you go to sleep. Thus, you would not only be with them during the fun times, but during trying ones as well. I mean, come on, with travel, problems are sure to arise, no?
Surely, that would expose a lot more to you than smaller doses of them would.
For me, I learned a lot more about the quirks and habits that my online friends have than I would have if our friendships had been confined to the screen. I got to see them, talk with them and walk with them at all times. With my regular friends, I became more privy to their moods and patience.
You might discover that your travel styles clash
Another thing that sticks to me after traveling with friends is that more often than not, we all have different travel styles. For instance, I’m the type of person who would set out of the house early and keep on walking till past midnight. I’d walk fast, and I wouldn’t stop for rest too often either. I’d also neatly plan out a detailed itinerary and make sure to book things in advance–because you never know. Last but not least, I would research the places that I want to go to to death.
Heck, if I’m gonna spend money on travel, I might as well get my money’s worth, right?
Alas, I only know of two or three people thus far who match my enthusiastic traveling style. Most people I know opt for a more laid-back approach, many even going as far as not planning their vacation ahead of time. Even right up till when they land at their destination.
Even if things don’t work out, the memories are there to stay
Despite the hiccups and conflicts that will inevitably occur, the one thing that you’ll take away from this is the experience. Good or bad, that is what you will get.
It might not be my place to say this because I’ve yet to experience a downright awful travel, but I’ve had had some moments that were upsetting, where feelings were hurt and terrible things were said. Yet in spite of the rough patches, I decided to look at the bright side instead and focused on the highlights.
If it all had been utter rubbish, then I would make do with it the way I would with most of my trash times: use it as an ice-breaker for future conversations.
Appreciation for your friends may grow
After all that time spent together, appreciation for your friends will grow. You know, for the ones who put up with your shows of temper, mistakes or tardiness, or the ones who went through the pains of navigating or planning out the entire trip for you, etc. There are lots more examples, of course, but you get my point. With travel, there will inevitably be some bumps along the road, but let’s not forget the good times as well.
It was precisely these moments where appreciation was born, along with the fun times, that further strengthened my friendships.
Who wouldn’t want to keep gems like those close, right?
