It's True, A Journey Is Best Measured In Friends, Rather Than Miles

One of my favorite parts of traveling is the uncertainty of what I could encounter, but the most exciting part for me is the thrill of the unknown as to all the interesting people I will meet along the way. We can predict to a certain degree what we are going to see, but not the unpredictable nature of whom we will meet a long the way. Some of these characters will become part of our lives and stories, and others will change our lives forever.

After cooling down ourselves with a couple of beers in the garden of our hostel in Chiang Mai, me and some other travelers started wondering, how real, strong and long-lasting are the friendships you make while traveling? How those amazing and fun travel mates you get to know just for a couple of hours or days, in places like hostels, buses or trains can become long last friendships?

This conversation came to my mind the other day and couldn’t take it out of my head, so I decided to ask other Travel Bloggers their thought on this topic of meeting new friends while traveling, a perfect question for these adventurers that spend most of their time traveling around the world.

According to Travel Blogger Chantell Glenville (Travel For Your Life) there’s a big misconception that the friendships you make while traveling don’t last or aren’t real. She met some of her best friends and favorite people in the world while traveling. It is true that sometimes time defines the depth of the connection with others, like those friends we make during our childhood or school days, but it is not only time what creates that connection, is also sharing the same ideas or situations.

Travel Bloggers Emma & Yannick from Luxurybackpacking (they sent pictures as well) have become happier people and with a more positive mind-set than before by connecting with everyone along the road. Especially because most of them share their attitude towards being independent and not being stuck in a 9 to 5 job in a certain location.

Sometimes the connection that happens is so deep after hours of conversation that you continue traveling together or stay in touch for years creating a stronger bond. And giving both parts the opportunity to have someone across the globe that will be there for you as a friend. Like Travel Blogger Alice Pye (attached picture) who collects friends from around the world, not just stamps. In her own words, “Travelling has rewarded her with some pretty incredible people. A lot of them are what she would call best friends even though they live on the other side of the world! She has made friends in nearly every continent.”

Or for Lola Méndez (Miss Filatelista) who believes that travel friends are great because you’ve already connected over a shared passion and will have endless conversations about your past travels, current adventures and dream destinations. Travel-friendships have a tendency to last across cultures, borders and time zones.

But is not only time, Age is no barrier to friendship – at home we gravitate to our own age groups, travel friends are old and young. Just like what Regitse Cecillie Rosenvinge (The Copenhagen Traveller) experienced by meeting different people. “I’ve met some of my favorite people while traveling. When you dare to venture out in this world, you meet the most amazing people from all over the globe – young, old and from different cultural layers”. Without making it sound a bit cheese: creating friends from other cultures is the biggest gift you can give yourself. – Regitse Cecillie Rosenvinge (The Copenhagen Traveller)

Because when we decide to step out of your normal comfort zones for meeting new friends we could end up finding the craziest characters in the world. If you don’t believe me, ask Megan Seamans & Andrew Johnston from Indefinite Travel whose favorite part of traveling is meeting people along the way. From the hitchhikers they picked up in Costa Rica to the man they are pretty sure was running from the law in Oahu. Travel friends always have the greatest stories to tell.

Even that night at the hostel we all agreed that you can have a deep connection with people you just met and some of them can even become friends for life, because time, distance or age are not the only factors that define how strong a friendship will be. Its the fact that you meet people that just like you, decided to leave their comfort zone in order to travel around the world, those who help when you when you are completely alone in a foreign country without knowing you or asking anything in return. Because being vulnerable with others is what sometimes helps us connect.

So if you ever have issues connecting with others in a new destination, remember that Travello (Download here) gives you the amazing benefit of connecting with others before you get to your destination or while you are traveling. Connecting with others is just a signup away on Travello.