Now we all have friends, and family, to whom we have said we must go on holiday together soon'. because you'll have know them for a while, and they are your bestest friends, you're thinking that a holiday with them cannot go wrong. Take it from me it can.
Take for example a trip I took with my then friend, you see where this is going, Janet (name changed) to Washington D.C. Now this was Janet's first trip to the States, and as i had been going frequently she begged to go with me. Having known Janet for years, I thought why not and it would be nice to have company. From the moment we got off the train from Baltimore, I knew it was going to be a long day.
At the mercy of strangers
First, she moaned with every step we took. Admittedly I hadn't told her that we would be walking to all the great monuments, but she had left the planning to me. Then she moaned about the sun, she was wearing a heavy jacket while I was in layers. But her major offense, was taking a lift from three strange men in a SUV with tinted windows. Oh yes she did!
Before you ask the question' let me answer it. She was not in her teens or early twenties she was in her early thirties. Neither was she drunk. She was fed up walking in the sun, and she was hungry, so even though she wouldn't dream of doing such in London, she hopped in as if she was related to them.
I was left standing open-mouthed on the Memorial Bridge, wondering if I should leave her to it. But I couldn't live with myself if something happened, so after taking a business card from the drive and texting the details and his licence plate to a friend, I got in. We were fine, but our friendship was not.
Fortunately, I didn't have any more such experiences, I learned my lesson.
Strangers in travel partner's clothes
The reason for this post is not to reminise about bad experiences, it's to celebrate great travel companions, such as my most recent one - travel blogger Laura Motta.
I met Laura on a recent trip to Istria, Croatia, and at the end of that rip decided to join Laura to see more of Croatia - Split and Dubrovnik. It was a spur of the moment decision, but over he four days I had spent in Laura's company, I felt I wouldn't regret it. And I didn't.
Laura and I shared a tiny cubby hole cabin abroad the Macro Polo ferry that took us to Split. Enjoyed easy conversations over a variety of topics over pizza, numerous sladoleds and cappucinos. We slept in the same bed without disturbing each other, loved languid walking, with no particular place to go, and nosying around markets and shopping malls.
It goes to show, one shouldn't be afraid of travelling with people you don't know well, at least you won't have any preconceived expectations.
If you don't want to travel alone, and have no-one to go with, then find travel partners on websites such as someone 2 travel with.
Or let me know what you are looking for and I'll do my match-making best.
In the meantime, share your horror or great stories, and any travel tips.
