About one week away from graduating college, I turned to my roommates and said “I want to be the friend that’s constantly off somewhere in the world. Not that I don’t want to see you guys, there’s just so much I want to see!” To this statement, my lovely friends laughed and we continued to dream of our futures. Friendship in our modern world is a strange thing. Add to that the scuffle of maintaining adult friendships during phases of growth, change and differing interests, and you’ve got a real struggle. To travelers who are constantly on the go, it can be difficult to develop travel besties. You know, the type of girls whose interests and passions are also aligned with our jet-setting dreams. Today, we’re sharing some simple ways to find your own travel besties and how to keep them!
Find Your Hub
While traveling, it’s important to find those key places along your travels that are filled with other travelers your age.
Perhaps the easiest solution to this is by staying in a hostel. Because this style of lodging is catered to younger travelers, finding other ladies to do some fun activities together is so easy. If you’re more of a hotel type of gal, that’s fine! Take a leap of faith and book a single room in a hostel. That way you’ll be in the hub of the action, but you’ll also get some alone time too.
Another great way to find a hub of potential female travel besties is by booking a tour catered to your age group. There are tons of options to book through… just do a quick search and you’ll find all sorts of meetups, group classes and activities centered around certain age groups around the world. There are even itineraries and trips made for twenty-somethings, parents and more.
A big takeaway we’ve learned is that accessing potential places where other ladies like yourself (who might also be looking for their own travel besties) is the first and easiest way to make some connections while traveling. When planning, think about these “hubs” and you’ll find it much simpler to form friendships along your way!
Food – The Ultimate Friend Maker
Is there a better way to solidify a friendship than sharing food together? We think not! Whether you take a group class on wine tasting, pasta making, or even if you just invite a gaggle of gals over to cook, sharing a meal gets natural conversations started. What’s so amazing about cooking together is that it eases the tension. Chopping, slicing, saute-ing, measuring – all these jobs can be assigned out and gives everyone a feeling of contribution and team work. And honestly, it’s just fun!
Side note. If you do find yourself eating solo on the road, ask to sit at the bar. Here you’ll find other solo diners (some of whom might be travelers too). Strike up a conversation if their food looks amazing or you’re curious about something on the menu.
Connect Via Social Media
Instagram is every traveler’s place to peek into the adventures others are having. But have you ever considered reaching out and forming friendships there? After following someone for some time, commenting on their photos, reacting to their stories, etc… you might find yourself feeling close to someone you’ve never met before. However, we’ve found that forming friendships over social media can be a real thing. So, slide into those DM’s of a friend you’ve never met in real life (…yet!). Ask if they might be interested in joining you for a meal or shooting some photographs together. It might seem odd at first, but some real travel besties can come from sending one little message!
On the other side, if you’re already out there adventuring and you connect with some absolutely rad ladies… ask for their social media handles. That way, you’ll be able to stay in touch with their comings and goings and you’ll have a platform to reach out with.
Flexibility
Traveling solo will bring about many memories. You’re bound to meet so many new people along your journey, sometimes for a short blip of time and sometimes not. But if you do find yourself getting along with a gal like two peas in a pod, remember to be flexible. If they mention a trip the next day “you just have to go to,” tag along! Changing your own plans and embracing the free-spirited idea of going on unexpected adventures is what it’s all about. Say yes to the possibilities of friendship!
