It seems counterintuitive, but some of your closest friends might be the worst people to travel with.
We all have at least one friend like this. As much as you love spending time together, the idea of getting on a plane with her is terrifying.
Suddenly, a relaxing vacation sounds like a potential nightmare.
I certainly have a friend like this. She is the light of my life, but I would sooner hike off the edge of a cliff than go on vacation with her. God bless her darling face, but absolutely not.
Not all best friends are destined to do everything together. It's a strange fact of life.
This axiom applies to many scenarios: Think of all your close friends whom you’d rather not live with. Why should travel be any different?
A sign of a true and unshakable friendship is being able to admit that traveling together would be the worst.
If going on a potentially disastrous trip together would do irreparable damage to your relationship, isn’t it your duty to initiate what might be an awkward conversation?
So, say it loud and say it proud: I LOVE YOU, BUT I CAN'T TRAVEL WITH YOU!
I love spending time with you, but not in confined quarters.
Getting to see and hang out with you is the best. I just don't like hanging out with you ALL the time. We tend to butt heads. Being on a trip requires A LOT of time in each other's company with no means of escape. We'd be on planes and trains and in hotel rooms. If we can't get some alone time, we could possibly kill each other. You rule, but I’m going to pass.
You have good ideas, but you're used to getting your way.
I’ll admit it: Even when you force me to do what YOU want on a wild Saturday night on the town, I usually end up with a lot of fabulous memories. That said, I couldn't deal with your pickiness on a trip that is burning up multiple paychecks. My vacation isn't another opportunity for you to have your way on everything.
You love the nights, but I want to have my days.
I'm a "Go, go, go!" kind of person. I want to do and see it all. You, on the other hand, are a creature of the night. I love my nights dancing on the bar with you, but I want to explore the cities that we're in. I don't want to go to a new place with you, only to leave a stranger because I slept the days away. I can't miss all those glorious adventures.
I want to have experiences, but you're stuck behind a camera.
I love you, but you're addicted to your camera. I get frustrated that you need to document every single thing we do. If we went away together, I fear you'd spend the duration of our trip trapped behind a lens. I want to see things, not photograph them.
I want to get outside of my comfort zone.
You like things mapped out and organized. You’re not a fan of spontaneity, so I know that a trip without an itemized itinerary would scare you to death. There's nothing wrong with your love of all things schedule-related, but that isn't what I’m looking for. I want to throw myself into everything headfirst. I need a travel companion who will do the same.
You want to do so many things, but I’m on a budget.
I want to go out and have experiences, too, but I’m working on a tight budget. You want to ride the zip line, eat all the food and buy the souvenirs. I’m sorry, but my strict budget means cutting down on a fair portion of the trip's activities. Okay, I’m cheap. Yes, I said it. I don't want to hold you back just because I don't have the money to do it.
I can be so much fun, but I'm not always great under pressure.
You're my go-to person for a good time, but I don't think I can count on you when the going gets rough. I'm not good under pressure and neither are you, girl. You and I both have short fuses and tend to crack when we're stressed. Trips are unpredictable, and I need a problem solver to balance out my own neuroses.
I’m high maintenance, but you like to rough it.
You get a thrill from being immersed in a new place and living like a local. That’s great. You go! My interests lie elsewhere. I need to travel with a person who wants to do things my way. I want to go to the fancy bars at the tops of skyscrapers; you want to drink the local beer.
You're interested in lying on a beach, but I'm interested in climbing mountains.
We wouldn't even agree on a trip in the first place. You are all about resorts and beaches; I am all about being on the go. I want to DO things, and you want to relax. When push comes to shove, we have different definitions of the word "vacation." I want to climb Machu Picchu; you want to lie on the sand in Saint Barts. We are best friends and always will be, but travel together we shall not.
Some people make better friends than travel companions. But that doesn't mean you can't stay connected while enjoying separate vacations. Simple Global from T-Mobile makes it possible to reach your BFF in 145 countries. And now with the new Mobile Without Borders program, you can talk and text to/from Canada and Mexico at no extra charge. Thanks to T-Mobile, keeping in touch while traveling the globe has never been easier.
