Travelling with your friends is one of the most exciting things you’ll ever experience. But at the same time, things could take a turn and it could become quite challenging. This isn’t bad. Take it as a test of friendship and an opportunity to grow together. If you haven’t had much experience travelling with your friends, we’re writing down the realities of the situation and what you should expect from this test of friendship.
Also read: 8 Types of People You Hate Travelling With
1. You’re stepping out of your comfort zone
When travelling with friends, most if not all of you will be exposed to unfamiliar territory and you have to help each other cope with the temporary changes. In another country, you’ll see each other adapt and react to different kinds of people, language, culture, environment, and so on. In a way, watching how your friends take in a different place also shows you a side of them you haven’t seen before. It shouldn’t really change anything between you and your friends, but stepping outside one’s comfort zone will help you see more of each other’s similarities and differences.
2. You figure things out together
“Hala! Na saan na tayo?” “Paano bumili ng ticket sa subway nila?”
Whether it’s navigating through a city or figuring out the commuting system of another country, you’ll be compelled to put two heads together and figure out solutions to problems you don’t usually face back home. You might have different ways of doing it. For instance, when studying how to get from one point to another, you may want to figure it out for yourself with a map, but your friend prefers to just ask locals for directions. What’s important is to give each other the opportunity to solve the issue and to hear each other out. Working together through tough circumstances can only strengthen your friendship.
3. You have to stick together, through thick and thin
Getting on each other’s nerves? Well, too bad. You’re all stuck together for the duration of your travel. It’s definitely a bad time to argue or lose your tempers. But at the same time, this is the beauty of travelling with friends. You learn to rise above your problems because you’re all each other has for the time being. It’s a trial that you and your friends are bound to face, but when all is said and done, you’ll look back at the experience and be proud that all of you managed to work things out. It’ll end up becoming something to laugh about years from now.
4. You have to share accommodations
This could be super fun, or super annoying. You get to see each other in the most vulnerable and laid back state because you’ll be living in the same room for a while. If you and your friend are on the opposite sides of the spectrum like you’re OC and he or she is not, or vice versa, then you know this could be trouble. Some would say that THIS is the actual test of friendship, but you can always turn it around and make it a fun and memorable experience for yourselves, as long as you don’t take things too seriously.
5. You’ll face the same roller coaster of emotions
Since you’ll be experiencing the same things, you’ll go through the same heightened emotions, from happiness, excitement, confusion, fear, relief, etc. You never know what you could encounter in your travels that could evoke these emotions, but it’s a good thing you’re not going through it alone. You’re there with your friends, side by side.
Having said that, it’s important that someone manages to keep level-headed so as not to get carried away. Take for example when you’re at a gorgeous park and everyone’s excited to take photos. Someone in your group ought to keep a close eye on your belongings because things could easily get lost or stolen, and you wouldn’t even notice due to your frenzy.
6. Your interests may clash
She wants to go here while you want to go there. You want to experience this while he wants to see that. From the moment you plan your itinerary, you may already notice conflicts of interest. Although it may seem petty at first, take it as a challenge to see value in what each other want to do during your trip. When your friends see that you take what they want into consideration, they’ll follow suit.
7. You have to make decisions together
In the same way that compromise is important, so is making important decisions when you travel. Sometimes, you have to make these decisions snappy due to time constraints. Do you spend more time in one attraction and spend less time in another? Should you catch the bus that’s arriving or the next one? Is it better to split up and meet somewhere else? Being able to make these calls with your friends can also show the maturity in the friendship, and the respect that you have for one another’s choices.
Also read: Barkada Travel Goals: 8 Must-Visit Asian Destinations this 2018
Isn’t it exciting to think how much friendships can grow when you travel? Although travelling solo is a trend right now, there’s nothing quite like sharing memories with your awesome friends. We can only hope you’re ready to put each other to the test!
