Travel Friends: 8 Reasons to Thank Them

Heading out on the road can be a downright daunting experience, full of the unexpected. Traveling is amazing. We see such spectacular things and are in a constant state of learning. But what is an experience without someone to share it with? The friends you meet while traveling; be it on a bus, on a plane, in a hostel or on the street in front of a tiny restaurant can have such a large impact on your journey. There are something's that are so special about the bonds between friends made while travelling, so here's to you guys. You are great.

1. Thank you for being so open minded and accepting

From the moment I dropped my bag and trudged into that hostel, you did not care who I was, where I came from or what language I spoke. You still asked me to join you for dinner, a game of cards, or on a crazy adventure. One of the greatest characteristics about meeting friends on the road is that travelers are culture hunters and are therefore happy to have you around, learn about you and hear your opinions. Judgment seems minimized here. Oh and if you stumble upon someone from your home country then it's always a hilarious moment of, "Remember this? Oh I'd die for that." Thank you travelers for being so welcoming.

2. Thank you for not thinking; that was a bad idea

Let's be real here. Travelers are a little wild at times. I mean, what do we have to lose when we are in a place where no one knows us and we may never be back again? And for some reason we also think there are no consequences. Thank you friends from the road for accepting and contributing to every bad idea I ever had. Because why wouldn't you attempt to climb that mountain at midnight to catch the perfect sunrise and why wouldn't you get lost in a jungle trying to find the perfect piece of beach? Exactly!

3. Thank you for being so weird

That's right, I threw it out there. Travelers are weird and I love them. With an ongoing influence of different cultures, different mind-sets and a lack of judgment, it is no wonder travelers can't help but express their weird sides. In some mixed up world we think it is cool to ditch your shoes, to hitch-hike, to go luxury yachting or to stretch your money unreasonably thin. It's great if you want to read in a tree all day or take salsa lessons when you can't dance. Thank you traveler friends for being so weird because when they don't hold back, neither do I. It is just more fun that way.

4. Thank you for teaching me how to fall in love

The friends you make while traveling are so special. These people come out of nowhere and they are so beautiful, open and exciting. Occasionally someone walks into a room and has the ability to just take your breath away. Sometimes we have special connections with certain friends. I mean how you could not fall in love with someone who is on your page; a wanderer. Meeting these people, falling in love/lust or whatever it may be, often has a massive impact on my journey. A shout out to those romantic moments dancing in the streets and all those late night heart to hearts, thanks for that.

5. Thank you for not telling anyone what we did last night

Because this is on repeat when I am on the road. Sometimes you just make stupid mistakes with even worse actions and for these moments I have to thank my traveler friends for keeping it in and making it an inside joke. Sorry moms and dads of the world, you just can't know about that one time in.

6. Thank you for being my temporary Hero

The strange but noble truth is that I probably knew you for less than two hours before we departed on a 5-day trek through the jungle together. For those five days I depended on you for almost everything. Let's face it, we were each other's temporary heroes. We trusted each other with everything (literally) we owned, with our food, money and even possibly our toilet paper in case we were sick. That's the cool thing about friends made while traveling -- we went from A to B, or 0-60 in two seconds or less and it felt normal. Thank you to all the travel friends who have been my temporary heroes throughout my journeys. You are so awesome!

7. Thank you for understanding my need to explore

Wanderlust, you have it too. That's what is so cool about you. You guys get it. You don't want to look at the picture. You want to be the picture and you share the same need to see what is around the next corner as I do and for this I appreciate you. When everyone at home is trying to get married, settle down and climb career ladders, it is you fellow transients who allow me to be more comfortable with my decision not to do that. There is more to life than what society says is normal, and you get that. Thank you for understanding my need to explore, grow, adventure and learn.

8. Thank you for the adventures

Finally, thank you for joining me on all of my adventures. The friends you make traveling are so special. They burst into your life with spectacular ideas and all of the excitement in the world. They accept you. They teach you. They help you grow and for this I thank them. I thank them for sharing experiences with me and for making my travels even more unforgettable. Thank you for the adventures!