Unquestionably, a great way to relax and enjoy life is by traveling. When you embark on a journey of exploring the unknown, you are inclined to disconnect yourself from the reality back home. It is like one of your few chances to be an entirely different person for some time. It is like a license to do some things beyond your comfort zone. Unexpected things happen when you set your foot on an unfamiliar land and every single detail, may it be good or bad, is what makes the whole trip one for the books.
READ: The Important Things Backpacking Solo Has Taught Me
But apart from these new activities and places expected to welcome you, what actually completes the adventure are these seven people you will encounter. And believe it or not, these people can make or break your entire trip.
7. Your Host
Whether you are staying at a budget or luxurious hotel, the way the host or staff greets and entertains you sets the mood for your vacation. Where you rest after a long day walking is your home away from home. It feels great when they do not treat you like a customer but a real house guest instead. A hotel staff which suggests the best restaurant you need to try for lunch without even asking deserves a tip. Your host going out of his or her way to send you off or even invite you to dine with their children makes you believe that traveling does not exactly mean you are always away from family.
6. Your Guide
No matter how badly you want to DIY everything, there are times when hiring a guide to tour you around becomes inevitable. They are usually locals who volunteer or make a living from helping travelers discover the best places their towns have to offer. Though sometimes out of the way, these people know which places you need to see—despite what the internet says.
And, most of the time, they have stories to tell; stories you will not hear anywhere else. When doing extreme sports and activities, they are most likely the first persons to encourage you and patiently wait until you muster up the courage to finally jump off the canyon or ride a bike zip line without judgment.
5. The Locals
It is nice to engage in short conversations with the locals once in a while. They tend to tell you about the hidden gems your host or tour guide might miss. After all, they have nothing to gain and nothing to lose. And so do you. So listen.
Although they have their own lives which will not stop just because you are passing by, small talks with them give you a glimpse of how people in the town are; how they live. Ultimately, they help you decide how you feel about a place when you leave.
4. Your Co-travelers
For many of us, if you can have it your way, you prefer not to share rides with strangers. But these happen. Some of you think sharing travel moments with people you don’t know might make even a short trip uncomfortable and awkward, but that’s only because you don’t open yourself to the situation.
If at least one of you initiate a smile or conversation, perhaps by asking how the experience is going so far, it is possible to find yourselves sharing a table at the end of the day and sharing your life and travel plans over beer or coffee.
3. Your Travel Buddy
They say you get to know a person more when you travel together. Whether you are with your family, significant other, friends or co-workers, there are still so many things to discover about each other. You may not agree most of the time, but you will learn that it is worth to compromise. Dramas could occur, but everything that will happen on your trip will be a story to be told for years. To have wonderful travel memories with the people who matter to you is a chance that you should not pass up.
2. The people you left back home
It is one thing that you feel their excitement for your adventure. But to receive random messages, asking for you to check in keeps you grounded.
Sure, you want to detach for a while from work and the responsibilities. But constant communication with the people you left behind makes you think that despite going on a vacation, people are waiting for your safe return.
1. Yourself
This does not have to be a surprise. It is your trip after all. No matter how beautiful the place is, if you do not know how to appreciate, you will get bored. No matter how accommodating your host or guide is, if you are a snob, there will be no conversation ever.
No matter how excited your travel buddy is, if you do not feel like going on an adventure, you will not enjoy.
Everywhere you go, the ultimate decision is yours. Would you choose to be happy for you have had the chance to travel or dwell on a single incident that you blame to have ruined your trip? Whatever happens, whatever disaster the whole tour brings—from the preparation, the flight back home, and every amazing thing in between—the success of your trip only depends on you. You will always be the one to measure if this trip has helped you relax and grow more than you would have at home.
Who is the person who really made your trip on your last adventure? Share your story in the comments below!
