“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine
Traveling Companion: Seeing The World With Your Partner In Crime
Traveling is by far one of my most favorite things to do in this life. Going into the land of the unknown awakens many different aspects of our being; many of us because of our monotonous routines have become stagnate. Traveling can invoke a whole new vigor; it can give you a whole new clarity.
The type of experience you have can vary greatly because of the many variables that are involved, things such as: location, money, weather, politics, food, language, people, attitude, expectations, transportation, etc.
From my experience traveling has been most rewarding when it was shared with the right partner. Sharing a unique experience with someone will only magnify your experience and can create a great bond that can last your whole life. Before you embark on a backpacking adventure throughout Europe, make sure you do your best to choose a traveling partner you feel will add value to your trip.
One of my most recent trips was truly a very fulfilling experience, due in large part to my traveling companion Mascha. Mascha had many qualities that I feel you should look for in a traveling companion.
(Video of our trip to “Tortuguero” in Costa Rica)
Qualities You Should Look For
1. Open Minded: She was very open to seeing and trying new things. If you go with someone who is stuck in their ways, your experience might be limited severely because of their influence on your decision making.
2. Not Afraid to Get Dirty: Depending on where you go make sure you choose someone who is not afraid of experiencing rugged environments.
3. Good Listener and Cares about your Opinion.
4. Good Sense of humor: Going into the unknown you never know what will happen, and when things don’t go exactly your way, you can balance it out with a good sense of humor.
5. Smart and Worldly: It is always a great when you are able to converse on a variety of topics. When the other person is not only a good listener but will give you feedback and contribute their own unique perspective. If you travel with someone who can only talk about a limited amount of subjects, you might end of getting really bored and annoyed with the other person. Make sure you get to know another persons interests before hand and see if they are compatible with yours or at least are interesting to you.
6. Strong and Independent: It is nice when you know that the other person can take care of themselves. If someone becomes too dependent on you during the trip, you might grow to resent the other person later on.
7. Likes to share: No one likes someone who is stingy, it is always great when you travel with someone who is really generous and giving.
So next time you start planning your next adventure, make sure you also plan wisely on who you would like to share it with. The world is full of adventure make sure you get out there and participate. Happy Travels.
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Current Location: South Korea
October 21st, 2009 at 9:12 am
awesome post, as a fellow traveler I can relate. Great video by the way, your one lucky guy
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October 21st, 2009 at 9:23 am
Great post, I wish I would have thought about this a few months ago. I went on a trip with somone I now regret going with, many problems would have been avoided If I would have thought it through.
Cheers,
Jamie
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October 21st, 2009 at 9:26 am
@Jamie:
@Peter:
Thank you for stopping by, I really appreciate it. Hope all is well.
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October 21st, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Hey Ivan!
Yeah travel is awesome, I can’t wait for my trip in December!
Costa Rica looks awesome
Thanks again for the shoutout!
Keep well Sir!
Diggy
Diggy – Upgradereality.com´s last blog ..Be True to Yourself – Tyler Durden Style
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October 22nd, 2009 at 10:11 am
Hi Ivan,
Just add unconditional love and that makes a great recipe for the ideal kind of relationship.
Since going through life is kind of like traveling to some degree.
Keep having fun and it is awesome that you have such great fellow traveler. It definitely makes a huge difference.
Nadia – Happy Lotus´s last blog ..Dependent Origination: Get Ready For Enlightenment, Baby
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October 22nd, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Hi. This is great. I like to travel and take picures. It is much enjoyable when you have your friend come with you. God Bless.
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October 23rd, 2009 at 12:19 pm
thanks Nadia for your great point
that is definitely the missing and most important ingredient @Nadia – Happy Lotus:
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October 23rd, 2009 at 12:20 pm
no problem diggy
I look forward to hearing about your future adventures 
@Diggy – Upgradereality.com:
Ivan´s last blog ..The Essential Qualities of a Traveling Companion
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October 28th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Another great post! Finding a fellow travel partner that you completely click with is definitely hard, which is why I tend to travel by myself. Even travel with my boyfriend is sometimes difficult, because I’m much more of a “walk around town and look at everything” type of person, and he on the other hand, wants to visit every museum and every tourist attraction. However, we share a common ground on all the other points you mentioned, so we compromise on the one we’re missing. Which is actually a wonderful thing in the end. Yes, sometimes I don’t want to go to the museum, and sometimes he doesn’t want to walk from one point to the other in order to see traditional houses, but more often than not, we really enjoy going a bit out of our way and doing something that without one another we wouldn’t do. So, although I think all your points are very valuable, I also think that sometimes, someone who has a bit of a different perspective when traveling can really be rewarding.
Karina´s last blog ..Make one day, today.
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mezz Reply:
October 28th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
thanks so much for your great comment and personal perspective….I appreciate you contributing to my community….hope your doing well…happy travels….namaste…
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November 24th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Hey Ivan! Great Post! I love to travel too and I completely agree with you.
Travel equals share.
And after a great trip you are full or histories to tell like the ones you post.
Thanks for sharing
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January 19th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
best travel companion? just yourself. then when you decide that the coolest thing to do at this moment is just sit in a doorway and watch the local life go by there’s not someone standing there asking you “what are we doing here? why are we stopping?” otherwise, next best is someone who is quite content to say “okay, cool. i’m gonna keep walking and i’ll meet you up the road”… that is, a travel companion who is self sufficient enough to have their own agenda of enjoyment, if doing it together isn’t what’s happening right now. a companion requires compromise. decide what level of compromise you are cool with, and be sure your companion is at that level also.
thaikarl´s last blog ..091204 Thaikarl – homesick indeed
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