The Truth of Traveling with People

Traveling can be hard in general. Traveling with people can be super fun and give you a sense of security that someone is there if something happens, or if you need something and you can’t do it yourself. It can also throw you for a whirlwind and really give you that sense of “people don’t always think like you do”. Even if that person is your best friend, or even just a friend, it can teach you that no matter how much love you may have for them, sometimes you just should not ever travel with them. It can also completely break friendships. I have had the honor and horror of traveling with quite a few people. Here are just a few of those experiences…

Some pro-experiences traveling with people:

• Enjoying the nightlife that you wouldn’t have experienced by yourself.
• Dancing in the car.
• Getting lost together and not freaking out.
• Crazy random quotes that get said on road trips. (Ex. “Do you want it all at once, or in small bursts?”)
• Learning that no matter where someone sleeps, they may still end up stealing the covers.
• Sleeping in shifts. (Whether sharing driving duties, or sleeping on the trains or buses. One of you can be awake and watch your things and watch for your stops.)
• Someone to share memories and pictures with.
• Having a friend trying to hide their suitcase but break the doors off of the wardrobe.
• Getting ready to shower second and hearing “Ah! I flooded the bathroom!”
• Having your travel roommate get her clothes soaked every time she showered.
• Someone saying swear words really loudly in a quiet restaurant, in the country’s language.
• Keeping track of time.
• Really fun pictures!!
• Personal photographer (if used correctly and sporadically).
• An extra phone cord, battery, and GPS.
• Making sure outfits, hair, and makeup are on point. Sharing clothes and makeup, and having one who enjoys doing hair and makeup.
• Washing, drying, straightening hair at a rest stop in Mississippi to get ready for New Orleans.
• Chasing after someone that pick-pocketed you.
• Meeting girls in the bathroom, “you’re so pretty”, “oh my gosh you’re so pretty too”
  • Okay… so meeting girls in the bathroom happens with or without people. Haha
• Meeting friends of friends who are also in the same place! (For me, this has only turned into awesome friendships!)

Some horrible experiences traveling with people:

• Having to sit next to someone that hasn’t showered for a few days.
• Someone having you make all the decisions because they didn’t do research, and then complain because they don’t want to do something.
• Having to hide the remote control because someone wakes up early and turns the TV on while the others are trying to sleep.
• Someone’s card not working–meaning now you’re paying for two people instead of just you.
• Waiting for the other person to be ready to do anything.
• Poor time management: one person getting to do everything they want and it takes up the whole time you’re there, so the other person doesn’t get to do what they came to do.
• Someone having intercourse right next to you.
• Someone literally throwing a temper tantrum like they’re 5 years old.
• Stealing your things.
• Someone feeling like they are superior to you, so they get the room they want–even though you did all the work as to setting it up.
• Always trying to one-up the conversation, where it’s not even a conversation anymore.
• Someone drinking too much and you have to take care of them.
• Sharing one bathroom.