Jan 23, 2015
Today I am talking about how to make friends while travelling or
anywhere. When travelling, things might get a bit lonely even if
you are going with a friend. Talking to the same people for even as
little as 3 days could become mind-numbing even if you are really
good friends!
That's why its important to make friends. The most common way is to
simply hang out in the lobby of a hostel and wait for someone to
talk to you. You can't look too busy and definitely can't have
headphones. Also, feel free to talk to anybody at a hostel, they
probably want social contact as well. The shared experience of
travelling, going to the same places, and being in the same place
is enough to start a conversation for a few minutes during which
you can find more shared interests. That's why I find making
friends while travelling so much easier!
The better way is to make friends through your Couchsurfing or AirBnB guests or hosts. Since these are people you have already chosen or have chosen you, you know you have some common interests. Then, when things again might get boring after some time, you can meet their friends which provides a much easier transition to meet more people! This is definitely a more natural way to meet people and I find it to be less stressful.
These are all great ways to meet friends while travelling or even at home. Events are a great way to meet lots of people, even a girlfriend or a boyfriend. My challenge is that you consistently meet 5-10 new people every week and have at least a 5 minute conversation with them. Once you do that you will find your social network expanding and you will not only make more friends, a significant other, business opportunities, good ideas, and people that can support you through what you are going through. Friends are just good people, remember that! It's not a very high bar to cross.
So go out there and meet some good people!