„Never go on trips with anyone you do not love.” -Ernest Hemingway
There is a reason why some people become artists and remain in our collective memories. Hemingway had a point when saying that when you travel you must do it with persons dear to your heart. But what happens when your dear ones cannot travel with you and you have to do it alone?
Don’t despair! Just because you are traveling alone it doesn’t mean that you cannot make friends down the way. It might sound strange but it is not as hard as you might think. Check out the following tips on how to make friends while on the road.
Do You Know How To Make Friends While Traveling?
– hostel love: staying in a hostel is the easiest way to make friends. Choose a hostel and soon enough you will start with the questions: ‘where are you from?’ ‘where are you going to?’. And in no time that card game will turn into a night of stories and booze sharing. Who doesn’t get friends after this?
– because – this refers to the things that you probably would enjoy doing if it weren’t for the word ‘because.’ I am not going to stay in a hostel because it’s full with 18 years old. I’m not going to travel by train for 30 hours because it might be dangerous. Life is full of buts and ifs. Don’t let these stand in the way of your happiness.
– befriend people on transit – when going for long journeys, chances are that you are going to travel for lots of hours and you are going to meet all sorts of people. Strike out conversations. See where they go! You might be surprised to discover that the persons you come in contact with are really nice people.
– pub crawls – up until 3 days ago, I had no idea this thing existed. But silly me! Apparently this is an activity pointed towards those who want to make friends over a pint of alcohol. This involves going from bar to bar (4-5 a night) and socializing with complete strangers. I know it might sound complicated and why not frustrating, especially if you’re not an easy-going type of person but it will be worth the trouble. Trust me!
– part of something – what do you do? what community are you part of? Take these and start looking for persons who have the same preoccupations as you. This will integrate you in a community and it will make it way easier to meet new people. And if you don’t belong to any group, try connecting with a long-lost relative or family member.
Try these tips when traveling. The people you meet on the road will influence your life in one way or another. They will help you discover yourself and gain fresh perspectives!
Dana