Written by: Brittney Miles
You just got home from an amazing adventure with your tribe, best friend, or significant other. As you unwind and unpack, it hits you: Separation. Anxiety. We’re here to tell you, we’ve been there (alot). Once our feet hit home soil, we feel the same pangs. We’ve spent enough time abroad with some INCREDIBLE people to know, even if you start a trip solo, you never end it alone. It’s the people you bring along or those you meet that really make the experience. That is our favorite thing about Legit Trips because you make travel friends that last a lifetime.
There is no buddy like the travel buddy. Travel friends truly do last a lifetime, and after years of research in this department, we think we know why.
You’ve seen each other at your best, and your worst. You’ve missed trains together and had to figure out new routes in foreign languages. You’ve listened to each other snore, loaned each other toiletries, and debated over itineraries and budgets. Do you truly know someone until you’ve seen them deal under pressure? Our guess is, not really. After troubleshooting some real-world situations and coming out on top you’ve had the opportunity to see both the highlight reel and the not-so-great side of one another. Traveling well as a group requires honesty, communication, and compromise. If you made it through, you know it’s real.
You’ve been changed a little bit, together. After gaining new perspective, you’ll never be the same. Luckily, neither will the rest of your crew, and the connection you’ve made by growing together bonds you. New cultural experience opens your mind and re-wires you to lifestyles, situations, and environments that you may have never thought of before. Sharing that growth makes it that much more impactful. You’ll pick up on some cultural influences just by being in a new place, but gain even deeper understandings by sharing and interacting with locals. They become part of your journey too, and before you know it, you’ve all seen, grown, and learned together, so much more than you would have alone.
The memories of a truly impactful experience stay with you. Even after your bags are unpacked and you ease back into your daily routine. Even if you don’t see your travel partners every day, every month, or every year. The experience you lived together remains. An inside joke will come back to you; a passing conversation or a song on the radio will remind you of “that one time.” Special memories of moments no one else will understand keep you infinitely connected to those you’ve traveled with. These memories give you a chance to smile, be thankful, and reconnect. They’re also a GREAT excuse to start planning your next getaway.
The bond you forge with a travel friend might be the strongest one we know of, built from the trust and comfort you gained by necessitycombined with the growth and knowledge you gained by choice. These bonds are one of the biggest reasons we take Legit Trips with small groups of amazing individuals time and time again.
So to you and your travel bestie: Let the memories keep you close and let the joy of travel keep you always looking for the next big adventure together.
“The best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.” – Robert Stevenson