Picking the wrong travel buddy can ruin a trip. You’re stuck with them for the entire trip and you are more or less forced to do everything with them. A travel buddy can make or break your trip. How many times have you gone on a trip with someone you thought you liked only to come back hating them? I’ve definitely been there. I have been on countless trips with friends getting more and more annoyed with them. Bringing up issues can ruin a trip, but keeping them inside will make you angrier. How do you avoid this situation?
The key is to find a travel buddy that meshes with your approach to travel and your personality. This can be very difficult to pick out since you don’t often see the true side of someone until you travel with them. This also makes travel a great way to solidify a relationship! Finding a good travel buddy can be an art more than a science. There are some things to do to ensure that a travel buddy enhances your trip instead of ruining it.
Don’t Go with Someone Because They CAN
This is a huge mistake. People will travel with someone just because they have the vacation time. They pick their travel buddy out of convenience instead of out of compatibility. You should pick your travel buddy based upon how well you get along. Don’t go with someone because they can go when you want to go.
Figuring out compatibility can be more difficult than it sounds. During travel, you will be spending a lot more time with someone than you are used to. This can bring out traits and habits you never knew about (or wanted to know about). The first step to finding someone compatible with you is knowing your own values. Take some time to write out your values. You have to know yourself before you can evaluate others.
My Melbourne travel buddies!
Match your travel buddy’s values to yours. Do you value compassion, respect, and quiet? You would not be best matched with someone who wants to party their way through a city without any regard for anyone else. Find someone who carries your core beliefs and your travel will be much more enjoyable.
A Good Travel Buddy Has Some Common Traits
The best trait of any travel buddy is inquisitiveness. Travel buddies that want to explore open up your mind. They make you do things that you never would otherwise. Find someone who’s curious and ready to put you outside your comfort zone. Travel with someone with passion and drive. You don’t want to be with the person who is content to lay in bed the whole day. Find someone whose passion and drive is infectious. Find someone ready to attack the day!
They have a strong sense of respect. It’s impossible to travel with someone who continually takes advantage of you. You end up doing all the planning and your travel buddy feels like a leech. They only do what they want to do and never ask you what you want. Find someone who is willing to give and treat you with respect. Respect comes with positivity. Travel with someone positive. A negative person can bring down a whole trip. Find someone that can turn a bad situation into a good one.
Some awesome travel buddies in Peru
Lastly, make sure your trip goals are aligned. If you want to lounge on a beach in an expensive resort, it wouldn’t be good to travel with a budget backpacker. This is important. Make sure you both have the same intentions. Straighten them out before you leave!
Find a Travel Buddy That Meshes with Your Personality
Different opinions and values can stress any relationship. This doesn’t mean that you should have the same exact opinion and values of your travel buddy, but you should have similar ones. A good way to test this is by finding someone you can talk to forever. This ensures that you have an amazing rapport. On the road, you can talk through any situation. You can also keep each other entertained. Everyone has some annoying habits, but you can tolerate those habits with people you like.
Hanging in Peru
As health conscious people, we also need to find travel buddies that share this value. This can be very important on the road. A travel buddy can heavily influence our choices around food and training. Someone who is content to sit around and eat processed food can ruin your health. Keep your health as a high value when finding a travel buddy. Find someone who motivates you to train and eat healthy instead of doing the opposite.
Good Travel Buddies Mesh with You AND Push You outside Your Comfort Zone
Finding a good travel buddy can be tough. Sometimes it takes a little trial and error to find someone that meshes with you on the road. It can definitely be more of an art than a science. Plan a shorter weekend trip with someone before a long one. You don’t want to be stuck with someone you don’t like. To find the perfect travel buddy follow these steps:
- Figure out your values and align your travel buddy’s
- Don’t go with someone just because they can go at the same time
- Find someone who has traits that align with exploration, passion, and respect
- Make sure they have the same trip goals
- Find a travel buddy you get along with
- Find someone who values health and fitness
- Enhance your trip by bringing someone that pushes you outside your comfort zone
A good travel buddy pushes you outside your comfort zone while still respecting your space and boundaries. They help you get over the difficulties you will find on the road while making the every day enjoyable. Be careful with who you decide to take on a trip!
How do you pick your travel buddies? Have you had any bad experiences with friends while traveling? What traits do you value in a good travel buddy? Let me know in the comments!
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