On Travel Buddies

It has now been 10 months so far of traveling with a companion, Nico.  Five of those months we have basically been within 10 meters of each other at all times, minus only a few days that we have spent in different places.  I really had no idea what I was getting myself into over a year ago when we started talking about the idea of traveling the world together.  I certainly am lucky that it turns out we've got very similar traveling styles.  But like I said... before this began I had no idea what I was getting into, or how lucky I'd be that even after all this time we actually still talk to each other and enjoy each others company.

It is interesting to see how the dynamic changes when suddenly other people are thrown into the mix.  Jay came for a visit.  We had talked a bit beforehand about what we expected to do together and helped prepare him for what to expect, coming to a developing country for the first time.  It sure was nice to have someone else to talk to and interact with for a while.

Then before Jay even left the country, we met up with Mike and Chris (my old roomates from Ithaca) and Charlie (another friend from Ithaca).  This certainly opened my eyes to a few things that I otherwise had taken for granted.  First of all, we certainly did not have enough communication before they came to figure out what we planned on doing together or what they should expect.  In fact I didn't even know Chris was coming until he showed up with Mike at the hotel, and I didn't know Mike was coming for sure until about 2 days before.  Much of this though is due to the fact that for the 2 weeks prior I was in the mountains with no internet access.  Also, Nico and I spent time in NZ, then Australia, then Singapore before we even went to Indonesia and SE Asia.  Each country was slightly less like what you expect in western culture.  So thinking now about how I've had months to ease into such a different culture, I can understand how it would be a shock to come here straight from the U.S.

Also, 5 is a bit on the large side for a group traveling together – especially if you have no plans.  To make a decision on where to go or even something as simple as where to eat lunch, it all takes at least 5 times as long.  If you are in a resort or have everything planned out beforehand, then I don't think it would be much of a problem.  Everything worked out just fine in the end, but just did not go as smoothly as say, having 2 people.  Although even with all that, I am really glad that Jay, Charlie, Mike and Chris all made it out to visit.  To see some familiar faces in such a foreign place really was quite refreshing.  It also encourages me to do some things that I may not have done otherwise, like have a beer and play cards – a couple things I have not done in a very long time, but really enjoyed with Mike, Chris and Charlie.

As its looking like I might only be on the road for one more month, this probably wont come up again.  But in case it does, here are some things that I learned for next time.
1. Have a plan
2. Inform your new travel buddies about what to expect and about cultural differences
3. Make sure you are all on the same page about how nice of places you want to stay and eat at.

After 5 weeks of having others in our party, it is now back to just Nico and I again.  Right now is in the middle of a week where we have nothing planned and can just chill.  When people come for vacation to a place like Nepal for 2 weeks, hanging out and doing nothing is not really the intent. But since we are constantly on the road, it is very nice to sometimes have that downtime to do nothing and catch up on whatever else happens in life.