Last week, I wrote about how much I love traveling alone. While it did help me to realize how much I love to travel and explore, there are also many perks to traveling with others. Here are some of the positive aspects of traveling with friends or family.
1. Meals
Personally, I still get anxiety dining alone in public restaurants for the most part. Eating alone in Peirce is different than getting a table in a cafe or restaurant solo. The former is so engrained in my lifestyle, but the latter feels incredibly awkward. If you have a travel buddy, you also have an automatic dining partner (and someone with whom to split that triple brownie sundae or green tea tiramisu you’re drooling over).
2. Cuts Cost
Traveling with someone else means you have someone to split costs like hotel rooms and cab fares if you get lost and just want to get to your warm bed ASAP. Also, if you and your travel bud are food compatible, you can split a large meal for half the cost of something you both want!
3. Support
In my opinion, travel is heavily idealized as this amazing, blissful vacation where nothing goes wrong!! That can be true, but little things can easily go wrong. Vacations are as stressful and exhausting as they are exciting. It is difficult to navigate a new place. Having someone with you gives you a person to bounce ideas off of when you’re confused. If you make a mistake, there is also someone there with you so you don’t look as silly. A win-win!
4. Sharing Memories
While photos and stories can help transport your friends onto your adventures, there is nothing quite like sharing a good (or bad!) travel experience with someone else. It can create a bond with an acquaintance. It can make or a break a relationship, in some cases. It is important to have experiences for yourself so you can really learn about who you are separate from those you know and love. It can also make an even sweeter memory to share new moments with someone you care about.
All that being said, travel as a whole can be amazing, whether alone or with a partner or group. My favorite travel companion is my mom because we are so alike. More importantly, we are very compatible travel companions. We get tired at similar rates and like similar foods, so it’s great to have her for splitting a peanut butter chocolate cupcake on a long train ride or a massive pizza when our connection makes us miss lunch and dinner by the time we land in our destination. I love her, and I wish we could travel everywhere together.
Until the next big journey, I hope these articles helped you keep in mind who you travel with in the future!
Image Credit: Jenna Wendler, Megan Otto