Posted by Anne

There are certain experiences that can put a relationship (either romantic or platonic) to the test.  Travel is one of them.  You might know what I’m talking about.  Have you ever traveled with someone you believed to be a kindred spirit, only to discover they have odder quirks and pickier taste in food than you ever realized?  Two days into your week of relaxation and you’re about to slap your friend with a street map.  It happens.  A perfect travel buddy is a rare find.  Like true love, it’s a match that should have been the subject of sonnets or ballads, songs or myths.   

In my experience, there are two fundamental factors that make the difference between “travel-buddy-kismet”, and “travel-buddy-kiss-of-death”.  In my view, they are…

• Propensity for Planning AND
• Money 

The latter is pretty obvious.  Ever been the only one who wants to spring for a nice meal while everyone else is fine with peanut butter?  Ever been the only one who’s fine with the colorful (and cheaper) hostel in lieu of the posh resort?  Awkward.  And potentially difficult to transcend.  Whether you’re a high roller or thrifty traveler, it’s easiest to see new places with someone on a similar budget. 

As for the issue of planning.  You’d think I might be one to prefer a traveling companion who shares my need to book everything in advance and strategize my restaurant visits.  I would have thought so too, until a few years ago.   One summer, deep in the midst of graduate school, I left for a 6-week adventure in Europe with a friend of mine from middle/high school.  We were (and are) incredibly close friends.  But I think we both wondered how well we would travel together.  As it turns out…perfectly.  We were on the same page with budget, so that helped.  But when it came to planning and spending each day, we actually weren’t so identical.   

We spent a LOT of time engaging in this activity...

You see, when I travel, I have an unfortunate tendency to approach new places like an assignment.  Using a guide book as my guide (duh), I take every nugget of advice to heart.  When Fodors or Frommers calls something a “must see”…I’m inclined to believe I MUST see it!  And so my travels can become a little frantic—driven by an eagerness to check off the sights, because who knows when I’ll have the opportunity again.  My friend, on the other hand, took a different approach.  Sure, she understood the necessity of seeing certain sights—she was on board with the Sistine Chapel, for example.  But she taught me something new, as well.  She taught me the beauty of finding a quiet café, tea room, or gelateria, and simply….sitting.  With HER as my guide, our 6-week tour included fewer items to be checked off, and more moments to soak up a culture, indulge in an afternoon scone, and blissfully drown in an endless pot of perfect tea.  We were different, but she converted me.  And I loved it. 

I’m particularly aware of traveling companions these days.  This winter, my husband and I have the opportunity to escape the Northwest drizzle and freezing fog (didn’t know that existed til I moved here, by the way).  Yep, we’re heading south of the equator—to spend two weeks in Chile.  Now, we’ve certainly traveled together before, and I’m happy to report it’s been successful.  But this will be our first time to travel together internationally, and I hope we’re as compatible as I think we are.  I believe we’ll complement each other, since my husband is more on the…spontaneous side.  So while I’m making sure we have a roof over our heads and well-reviewed food in our bellies, I trust he’ll take after that friend of mine, and remind me to savor the random moments of not knowing. 

Do you have a favorite friend or family member to travel with?  And why do they make such a good traveling buddy?