Travel Buddy Spotted
I love my travel buddy and I wouldn't ask for more. We met several times back then yet we've never really connected. She's a friend of my roommate's friend. Our friendship didn't blossom that fast until we went on a hiking trip. Ever since that great fateful day, we've been traveling together non-stop. We went to different parts of Southeast Asia and managed to get through long flights, three sleeper buses in 3 days and even four-hour trips in long boats. Both are equipped just with a backpack, a torn map, a cat's curiosity and a friendly smile. Based on my experience it's really hard to find a friend who will be with you physically and emotionally for all the wrong turns, detours and misadventures during a trip. I'm glad the universe has channelled our fate to be in one ray to travel the world hand in hand. Let’s go!
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Travel Tips
- For flights, Skyscanner is excellent for comparing the best airline deals.
- For accommodations, our family trusts Booking.com for reasonable prices.
- Organize your trips easily with a Travel Planner.
- For tried-and-true travel and hiking gear, check out our Amazon Storefront.
I have listed down a few qualities my travel buddy possesses which I'm grateful about and have made traveling an even more memorable experience. Once you find that friend who goes along with your personality and most especially your foolishness, you just hit the jackpot! Keep that friendship alive, you got yourself the best travel companion of all time.
1. Patience
The number one quality I adored about my friend is that she is patient. There will be a lot of challenges during the trip especially if it's a backpacking adventure where you battle against train, bus and ferry schedules. She never loses her cool. Together we kept our heads afloat, and we sometimes calmed each other when we missed a bus trip or took the wrong turn. But hey! we always tell each other this is what adventure looks like.
2. Free-Spirited
A person who smiles in the face of adversity. We might have chosen the wrong guest house, hopped on the wrong bus and joined the wrong crowd but she never complains. She's not obsessed with the conventional way of traveling. Instead, we practice the art of being patient and at the end of the day we both enjoy the moment and make a memorable experience out of it. I like how she goes with the flow of our travels, everything doesn't have to be according to plan and if something comes out of the window just let it be. Sometimes one person is all it takes to make a dull experience turn into an exciting one.
3. Backpacker Soul
Someone who doesn't need a luxury hotel to feel special, just being in a different country, experiencing a new culture, and tradition, exploring gastronomical cuisine and meeting locals brightens up the day. A free-spirited kind of person in every way. She carries her heart around her soul, her things on her back and her eyes see a different light of the world.
Wanderlust Seeker
She has a strong desire to see the world, travels to faraway places and sees the wonders of traveling with her own eyes. It's not just about counting how many countries you've been to, the stamps on your passport and the updates on your Instagram account. There's more to that, it's a deeper connection to someone's soul, to see, to hear and to feel the other side of the globe is the most priceless gift of all. I believe each person has this wanderer's soul within their spirit. The only way to awaken
4. Explorer Vibe
She loves to wander around. She's not afraid of getting lost. A wrong street, a wrong stop and a wrong place excites her. I've never been so relaxed about getting lost in a country that I've never been to when I'm with her. Even thou she has this relaxed vibe radiating around her, she is still vigilant with our surroundings. So far we've never got into trouble and we always make it alive going to the airport.
5. Food Enthusiast
This is something I love about her too. She's willing to explore a variety of weird foods when we travel. It's a crucial part of traveling. They said the food served in a country describes the local's characteristics. I love Thai food maybe that explains why it's the Land of Smiles and why the people there are friendly. I remembered the smile on my face when I had one of those street markets Pad Thai in Thailand. In addition, it is the easiest way to get through the local's hearts by being in union with them in the dining hall, in a small market stall or in their restaurant which brings a sense of closeness to one another.
6. Positive Thinker
Sometimes, when you travel, you don't get what you want or you get something you don't deserve. For instance, booking the wrong tour, meeting a rude guide, having diarrhea, menstrual cramps, no bus timings, no train service, and the list of misfortunes goes on and on. As what they said there's always a rainbow after the rain. My friend's enthusiastic behavior towards traveling always brings out positivity in all aspects of our trip. We might miss a ride or an activity, but plan b will always be better and more interesting.
7. Problem Solver
We did a trip recently in Bintan, Indonesia and booked for a seaplane flight experience. However, due to the bad weather, we missed our booked ferry. Instead of complaining about the missed trip, and the time and money wasted, together we figured out a way to solve the problem. We ran to the ticket counter, booked the next trip which was also the last one that time and just got over it. We made it. She continues to amaze me with how she thinks positively, even citing other options if we didn't make it on time for the last ferry.
8. Thrifty
We travel more than 3 times a year. Sometimes we spend too much on a trip but not to the point of being empty-handed. I love the fact that we follow the same budget and we try our best to stick to it. We keep it simple by avoiding fancy hotels, overpriced pick-up transfers and private tours. Mostly it's the accommodation that plays a significant role in our expenses so we really try our best to find the best one. Looking for a guest house is a difficult task you have to consider the location, the budget and the atmosphere. This is a problem with some people just because you're paying less doesn't mean you deserve a bed full of bugs, no water heater, no breakfast, no air-conditioning and good service. It all goes down to how good you are with your research. During our travels we don't usually stay in one place, we only get to travel for a few days and we want to make each day count. This really makes research even harder however, we still want to get our money's worth at the same time in line with our budget.
9. Nature Lover
She loves nature more than anything. I adored this about her. Perhaps that is how we really became close friends and how our personalities clicked right away. All our trips are focused on hiking, trekking and going to the beach. We prefer water sports, climbing mountains and adrenaline-pumping activities. Any kind of activity that makes us feel closer to nature is all we need. Sometimes we break the law of being thrifty, as you can see our target activities are a bit extravagant in some ways yet we always manage to cope and even save more for the following months.
10. Camaraderie
We watch each other back, literally and figuratively. It's nice to know you have someone who is there for you in times of need may it be: memorizing an address, a code, a street corner, extra toiletries,a morning glory teaser, a spare battery, an ice breaker, when you had too much drink or a 7'11 detector. I also realized when you're backpacking and you're walking in a busy station that person's back will be your intimate lover. A sight you don't want to lose at all. Both of you will need to make sure you don't lose each other in the crowd. When traveling you will also be your friend's bodyguard not just a travel buddy and a baggage attendant when you take turns during bladder breaks.
Traveling is not just about the journey, there will be setbacks along the way and lots of detours which cause arguments but it's not something which can't be fixed with understanding and kindness. I'm proud to say our friendship is based on trust and loyalty.
We do spend a few bucks in a year but as they said you're not paying for the ride you're paying for the experience. Great thing my travel buddy shares the same passion I have for traveling. If you've found that special person may the force be with you. If you haven't thou take the time to get to know your friends even more, there should be someone willing to put up the fight.
Have fun and be safe ^__^
Do you want more adventure?
Here is a Compilation of all my thrilling escapades over the past few years. Perhaps it's time to revisit your own bucket list and make some progress towards achieving your goals.
Where am I going next?
My next adventure is to Los Angeles, California and I have here a survival guide on how to go around the city.
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