Travel is a big thing. It’s a very big thing. Throwing yourself out into the world with no deep understanding of your surroundings, culture and most times even the language. Its peculiar how travel makes us feel empowered, challenged, scared and excited all at once. It’s an amazing feeling unlike no other.
However, as we tend to not give much thought to the people who accompany us, it can be a difficult and surprising task of travel to find the right person to share it all with. So in order to chose the right companion to take on the world with, it’s good to know the following:
Acknowledge Your Differences
Whether it be your sister, best friend or significant other, traveling with anyone can be challenging. After all, you are two different people who although may share a lot of common interests, you are not exactly the same. When I booked my first overseas holiday with my boyfriend, it was great. He agreed to all the countries I wanted to go, let me organize my preferred accommodation and even let me handle all of the flights. I couldn’t believe my luck!
The most important thing when picking someone to travel with is acknowledging and respecting that you two are different and understanding those differences so it doesn’t become a problem.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOQOxWWjHZW/?taken-by=jade_hill
Have the same travel style
Nothing is worse than rocking up in London and learning that you like history, museums and culture while your travel companion loves pub crawls and shopping sprees. Discuss with your proposed travel partner what they are most looking forward to or what they want the most from in the trip. As previously discussed, you aren’t going to be identical in everything you want but make sure there’s enough common ground when it comes to your travel style. When it comes to myself and my boyfriend, we are pretty much the same, we enjoy culture and also the nightlife. Of course there are always going to be little things we don’t agree on but overall, we are pretty consistent. Having the same travel style is a major win for finding your travel soul mate.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNvnxgTDeQb/?taken-by=jade_hill
Have open communication
Travelling with someone else definitely tests the waters of both your own and your partner’s patience. It is inevitable that things will go wrong on the trip and for that reason you need to understand your partner’s responses and be able to communicate effectively!
It’s best to have someone you know will be able to handle situations well and be quick thinking at times. You also need to know how to communicate between each other, if something upsets you don’t feel scared to speak up. You should have enough confidence within the relationship to be able to say no to something or to be able to discuss problems. Travelling can turn very sour if neither of you are willing to be open and vocal about things!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BN2owiNjpou/?taken-by=jade_hill
Accept what is
Travelling with someone is ultimately all about compromise. Even if you know the other person inside and out, there will be moments of disagreement and various challenges throughout your trip. Your travel soul mate is someone who will make you feel alive and will support and encourage you, despite their own views. This person is the person you are creating a lifetime of memories with and will be able to laugh about the good, the bad and the ugly in years to come. Travelling is magical, extraordinary and life changing, and so should the person you decide to share it with.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BObZWRVjC7w/?taken-by=jade_hill
Do you have any tips on how to travel with others (and not kill each other in the process). We want to hear them…or you know, your travel stories in general. Head here to get your content published right here on six-two.