HOW TRAVELING STRENGTHENS FRIENDSHIPS & BUILDS LIFELONG BONDS

There’s something so magical about travel that goes beyond the destination. It’s the people you get to experience it with AND all the people you meet along the way. Traveling fosters a unique kind of connection that everyday life very rarely allows, because let’s be honest, how often are you attempting to navigate the windy roads on the cliffs of Mykonos in the dead of night in your everyday life? Don’t worry, there’s an actual story there ha! Maybe I’ll even share it one day, because let me say… I not only found my travel tribe that day, I made lifelong friends.

But in all honesty, traveling with someone, especially for more than a weekend, allows you to chip away at the surface layer small talk, and have deep conversations — plus get to the heart of who you and they are. When you’re experiencing new cultures and navigating new landscapes, you’ll get to really see each other! Let's get into how...

Arusha, Tanzania 2024

SHARED EXPERIENCES CREATE DEEPER CONNECTION

Imagine being in a foreign city and seeing the Northern Lights for the first time. Or diving into the ocean with wild dolphins or orcas! Together, you hike a volcano and see the most incredible sunrise, while feeling like you’re standing on top of the world. You’ll never forget who you were with when you saw the Milky Way in the sky in the middle of an African desert or the first time you tried the local cuisine in Oman. Shared moments like these are essentially unforgettable, and create emotional anchors that you’ll never share with anyone else. And unlike most things that occur in every day life, like dinner dates, nights out, texts or phone calls, these memories are vivid and will never be able to blur with anything else.

YOU SEE AND BEGIN TO ACCEPT EACH OTHER FULLY

Imagine going through what I mentioned above and much more… now add missing the last train back to your accommodations. You and your travel companions have to work together on how to pivot and navigate your next move. Who’s the most critical thinker? Who's good in a crisis? Who’s best with directions? Who’s got phone service? Can you laugh at these types of situations, while actively trying to get out of them? Everyone’s true character is exposed. Even in times of stress, friendships deepen when you let your guard down. You each learn how the other handles joy, stress, discomfort, the unknown, and being around people essentially 24 hours a day. More often than not, you’ll love each other more for it! Trust me, I’m speaking from experience. Being on vacation for two weeks at a time allowed me to really know my friends on a level that I otherwise may not have. I learned how to read non-verbal cues and how to react to the messages they were sending. I now know when someone needs consoling, or a good laugh, or just some alone time. As a group, we’ve learned how to communicate better and how to respect each others boundaries and so much more!

INSIDE JOKES AND STORIES YOU’LL BE ABLE TO SHARE FOR YEARS TO COME

Let me just preface this by saying, some of the funniest stories of my LIFE have happened while on vacation. My friends and I have inside jokes for days! No... YEARS! Just thinking about some of them has me about to burst out laughing right now, although I’m writing this from the coffee shop so... that may be awkward haha! The most raw unfiltered stories come out of travel. I could tell you stories of motor scooters being driven into the literal air, almost tipping over ATV’s, driving in circles because you can actively see your destination you just can’t figure out how to get there, a driver picking you up barefoot to take you to local party so he clearly knows something you don’t, the door of your car being nearly blown off because the winds in Iceland are not for the weak…really this list can go on and on, but I’ll spare you! I wouldn’t have a single one of these hilarious memories had I not taken the risk and purchased that plane ticket to see the world with my friends. There is truly nothing like it. Now my life is full of statements like “do you remember when?” and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

YOU LEARN THE ART OF COMPROMISE

As someone that plans all the trips, I could very easily fill the itinerary with things I want to do with no concern for anyone else. But who wants to travel like that? In this case, teamwork makes the dreamwork, and travel teaches just that. You quickly learn to plan together and make sure everyone's wants and needs are catered to because after all, the experience isn’t yours alone. This not only caters to respect, but also to trust and empathy. And if I’m being totally honest, it creates the opportunity to experience something you may not have otherwise. It’s important to step outside of your comfort zone when you travel, especially when you’re doing it with a circle of people you trust. You are already in the depths of a new environment — see it through!

YOU CREATE A CHOSEN FAMILY

They always say “you don’t choose your family”. I disagree. Some of my closest family members are the people I travel with and I chose each and every one of them. Or really, they kinda fell into my lap at work but who cares! Group travel has a way of turning strangers into sisters (or brothers!). I remember the first time I took a risk and brought together a group of strangers. We were in Greece for 10 days and everyone had only met once prior to the trip. And now some of those same people will be in each other's lives forever, because traveling together made us that close.  There’s no real way to explain how that bond is formed, you just have to give it a shot and experience it for yourself.

But not only that, we’ve made friends in other countries along the way, and THAT is beautiful. I now have family on three continents and I can’t wait to expand it. It’s a beautiful feeling to know that you’ve impacted people enough to want to maintain a relationship with you and vice versa. But bigger than that, what a wonderful way to connect with people on a deeper level despite your cultural differences or life experiences. To see people for the beautiful humans they are with no hidden agendas. These bonds are built over a core connection, curiosity, confidence and an overall love of life, in all forms.

Bali, Indonesia 2025

Friendships forged through travel are built on some of the rawest, most vulnerable, and beautiful moments — but that’s exactly what makes them last. You laugh, learn and maybe even cry but more than anything, you connect and YOU GROW!