Making friends when you travel is a bit like camp. You form nearly instant, intense bonds that seem a bit isolated to that particular time and place. They’re a blessing but it’s something I struggle with. I have such incredible, deep, strong friendships at home built on years of stories, experiences, and trust. On the road I put my life in the hands of nearly complete strangers (sometimes quite literally) and don’t think twice about it. I have amazing, life changing experiences with them and then… They’re gone. I’m reflecting on this today. Thankful for the time we had together, but feeling a bit cheated that, in reality, we’ll probably never meet again.
Letting go is a survival skill when you’re traveling. Throwing away those clothes that are weighing down your pack, spending that extra money when you need to be safe (or at the very least feel safe), saying goodbye to someone who has meant a great deal to you. I would like to say that this is a positive, helpful skill I’m learning. But honestly I wonder if it’s just a bad habit I’m picking up. Training myself to not care too much, to not commit too much. Or perhaps I’m learning to put my full self into the present, no guard up and no questions. And when the time comes for the present to become the past I can say, without reservation, that I enjoyed it to the fullest while it was mine to enjoy.
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What if it’s the opposite? What if traveling and learning to connect with and rely on and trust people you’ve just met and may never see again opens you up to the possibility of connecting with anyone at all, anywhere at all? What if we take away a sense of connection and inclusiveness? We get so used to our circle, the bubble we surround ourselves with, that we forget that we’re ALL in this together, literally around the world. And these connections, however fleeting, are real and valued. Though I might not remember their names, I’ll never forget sharing drinks and stories with the other travelers at my guest house in Goa, or the girls I met in a hostel in Paris, who I joined for dinner the night I tried escargot for the first time.
Am loving your adventures – stay safe and open and soak up every minute.
Lisa I love and appreciate your view on this! I think you’re right – there are some many positives to gain from this. Thanks for challenging me to see what an incredible benefit this can be, no matter how taxing at the time!