While there’s certainly something to be said about travel for the sake of travel, I’d argue that the most valuable journeys are centered on shared experiences. Whether you’re adventuring solo or staying with a group, making connections with other people brings deeper meaning to your stay.
I came to this realization fairly early in my travel career. As a freshman in college, I participated in a semester-long seminar on the history of England that featured a 10-day trip to London at the end.
This Honors London Experience meant I’d be traveling with a group of 150 other students. While it was an incredible way to kickstart my undergraduate studies, I also found that there were so many of us that it was difficult to connect with others in the program.
I was a bit anxious before the trip. On free days, would I find a group to tag along with? Should I invite someone to join me on an excursion? Should I explore London solo?
No matter what I chose, I often felt like I had to pick between establishing friendships and discovering London on my own terms.
Now that I’ve gotten a bit more travel experience under my belt, I’ve found that the people you’re with can make or break a trip.
In instances like the Honors London Experience, sometimes it’s luck of the draw. You don’t choose your travel buddies on a study abroad trip; you’re essentially assigned to them. Sometimes you become lifelong friends. Sometimes you drift apart before you’re even out of the airport.
While I’m grateful to have spent time in London, my trip would have been much different had I traveled with a smaller group of people.
Where Can You Find a Travel Companion?
If you’re ever looking for a travel group, your relatives can be a great place to start. My family members were my first travel companions, and to this day, they’re some of my favorites.
Traveling with family can teach you to appreciate your loved ones in a new way. Whether you’re trying to navigate a new transportation system or commenting on a bizarre art installation, you’ll have the chance to see the people closest to you in a different light. You’ll learn and grow with them, discover new experiences together, and make lasting memories.
Basically, it’s the best thing about traveling with a buddy.
Now that I’m older, family trips are few and far between. Thankfully, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to travel with my friends.
Trips with friends tend to be a bit more adventurous than family vacations (my parents aren’t too keen on bungee jumping, flying on budget airlines, or hanging out in youth hostels like my friends are). But there’s a great deal of value that comes with traveling with a close group of friends.
As a group, you have to make decisions that accommodate everyone’s preferences, interests, and budgets. You solve problems that arise and endure cancelled flights, bizarre foods, and awkward language barriers.
You also see breathtaking landscapes and extraordinary works of art together. You have people to experience it all with, the good, the bad, and the in-between.
Travel can also be a great way to make new connections. Traveling with acquaintances or strangers like what I did on the Honors London Experience can be a bit of a risk, but it can also create a great foundation for new relationships.
One of my dearest friends was just an acquaintance before we signed up for the same study abroad program in Spain. Six months of culture shock, new experiences, and exhausting adventures brought us together, though, and we remain close to this day.
Connecting with People through Travel
Of course, all of this isn’t to say that you can’t or shouldn’t travel alone. The solo travel that I’ve done, while less extensive than my group travel, has been incredibly rewarding.
It can be lonely at times, but if you bring an open mind, your solo trips are an opportunity to connect with the people around you. Whether you’re striking up a conversation at a bar, participating in a local celebration, or mingling with the folks on your walking tour, you’ll realize that you can find a sense of belonging no matter where the road takes you.
While there’s plenty of value in seeing a new place, the people that you’ll meet give you a reason to come back again.
Making Unforgettable Journeys Worry-Free
No matter how you choose to travel, the relationships that you build on your trips can be more valuable than even the coolest souvenirs. When it comes to travel, it’s not always what you did or where you went, but who you were with that can make a journey unforgettable.
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