It does happen. You awaken in South Africa, wearing someone else's shoes, and you're perplexed as to why a warthog is "big-spooning" you, despite the fact that you're wearing your own. Your head feels like an elephant has been sitting on it, and leaning against the wall is an intricate artwork of the Uber driver from the previous night riding a unicorn over a rainbow. Right. You make every effort to recall what happened, but you are unable to piece together a sequence of events. Imagine if there was someone who could explain to you how things came to be in this state. A companion to share in your hilarity over the bad turns you've taken together, or someone to talk you out of herding a warthog into the backseat of an Uber in the first place.
Traveling with friends makes the experience more enjoyable. It is possible to make your road trip more enjoyable and enjoyable with the help of friends, who are always there to remind you of everything that has been forgotten. Even those evenings that you'd want to forget about. Here are the top five reasons why traveling with friends is always a smart idea, in no particular order of importance.
1. They can assist you in doing things that you are unable to do on your own If you are not very practical (think less Man vs Wild and more "man battling to find a hair product that will survive the rigors of a sweaty nightclub at 3am"), having a friend accompany you on your trip can be extremely beneficial.
Full disclosure: my hands are not covered with calluses, I am unable to replace a vehicle tire, and there are days when, if I did not have access to a smartphone or a credit card, I would be as likely to live as a sedated sloth is to complete an ultra-marathon in a single day. Knowing your shortcomings, on the other hand, is not always a negative thing if you prepare ahead and chose your traveling partners intelligently.
Put another way, practical buddies make for some of the greatest traveling companions a person can have. Friends who are good at getting things done can help take the stress out of traveling. Whether it's navigating complex underground train networks or checking to see if your rental car isn't starting because it was cursed by the cashier you accidentally short-changed at the supermarket, or if it's simply out of gas, friends who are good at getting things done can make traveling less stressful.
2. They have the potential to save you money.
When it comes to travel, money is, regrettably, a fact of life that must be accommodated, regardless of what the barefooted dreadlocked traveller at the hostel with the dubious odour might have told you. And although this hostel hero may be able to get away with trading food for hugs, you have a clear relationship between your financial resources and the amount of time you can spend traveling. Fortunately, traveling with friends may help you enjoy yourself for longer periods of time. When traveling alone, many travel activities — from tours to accommodations — become significantly more expensive. Having the ability to split the costs of things like hotel rooms and transportation means that both of your travel savings will last longer and that you will be able to go further on your excursions.
3. They can provide as a calming influence on the road.
Everything comes to a halt. Time. The beat of your heart. All ideas of what life would be like in two minutes have been banished from my mind. Stopped. Your eulogy is being read in the distance, and you can hear it being read. Despite the fact that you are inundated with phrases like "genius,"play tic tac toe "so wonderful looking they made me cry," and "the best human to have ever lived," you are not reassured by them. As the zipline begins to slacken and you're advised not to be concerned, you battle the impulse to shriek with all you've got. It is the most effective method of seeing the forest. In addition to having a breathtaking view, it is completely secure... for the most part.
How did you wind up in this situation? You've always stated you'd like to try new things when traveling, but this is a step too far for your adventurous spirit. What if you had a companion to warn you that you were being stupid? Someone to compel you to go past the sign that says "view the jungle from its canopy" an hour early.
Traveling with friends — especially those who know you the best and aren't hesitant to call you on your behavior — may give a much-needed voice of reason on the road when you're feeling out of control. They can get you out of difficult circumstances and save you from having to look into your travel insurance policy for covering specifics on pompous self-flight experiments in the first place, which may save you time and money.
4. For the simple reason that everyone requires a little holiday romance quality control
We've all been in that situation before. In a foreign place, you arrive on a remote island and within days, you've fallen in love with a historic city's small, twisting lanes, which are teeming with street vendors selling local cuisine; the scent of spices permeates the air as you meander aimlessly, taking it all in. During dinner, you capture the attention of a mystery fellow traveler whose stories grab you and make the evening pass all too fast for your liking. They are unlike anybody else you have ever met, and when mixed with all that wine, it is all too easy to fall head over heels in love with them.
A little bit of affection while driving is never a terrible thing. It is possible that the cliché of a brief holiday romance will prove to be one of the finest aspects of travel. But there are times when we all need a buddy to tell us to take our wine-tinted glasses off before we fall for the wrong traveler. After all, isn't it preferable to have a friend tap you on the shoulder and inform you that "tall and dark" is more "short and bulbous" prior to embarking on a nighttime adventure with them?
5. You will be provided with a selfie stick.
Few things are more difficult for solitary travelers than attempting to capture the ideal selfie moment. Observing the procedure, which includes everything from attempting not to strike other visitors in the head with the extending pole of the selfie stick to calculating their best angle to producing a face like an imagined buddy just made a wonderful joke, can be excruciating.
Traveling with friends, on the other hand, has several advantages. Not only does traveling with friends ensure that you always have someone to keep an eye on your belongings when you're out buying that postcard your mother has been bugging you to send to your aunty who lives with a lot of cats, but it also ensures that you always have a personalized, real-life selfie stick on hand to capture your most memorable experiences. Want a picture of yourself eating a street-side supper in Buenos Aires while appearing contemplatively cool? Simply consult with a buddy. Interested in having a photograph taken of you straining to bring the Leaning Tower of Pisa back to its upright position? With a selfie stick, it's impossible, unless your selfie stick is a buddy from high school named Kirsty, who understands how to create the greatest profile possible and isn't ashamed to tell you when to filter.
