Travel Friends

Friend

A very general term that has gotten even more broad along my travels. When you travel alone you aren't friendless and lonely as some would think. The entire world becomes your friend if you take the opportunity. The person who shares your long bus ride seat, the girl booking a flight on the computer next to you, someone who offers you the five cents you need to pay your meal, and the girl who decides to buy a motorbike on a whim with you. They all become your friends in a way. Some become more meaningful than others but they all influence you. Everyone shares a common interest, travel. That's what binds backpackers together and makes it so easy to meet one another. I've been fortunate enough to have created some unparalleled travel friends and countless other ones. Jenny knew I was upset at losing my painting and was nice enough to suggest giving me hers. She is the kindest girl I have ever met. Tasha extended a helping hand when I lost my cards and loaned me money, which without her my trip would've been cut short. And Morgan? She gave me lessons on being an adult.

Then there are the local people. They too become friends. Sharing their homes and their dinner tables while they make you laugh, help you out, and make you feel comfortable. These people treat you like family and a friend they have known there entire life. They value the happiness of those around them. A virtue that is priceless. 

This is all amazing and its a crazy feeling to know you can find people anywhere. But then there are the times when you encounter a friend from home halfway across the world. A bridge between travel and home is linked.  While you are traveling you can lose a sense of how different and out of ordinary the thing you are doing really are. It's especially easy because everyone around you is doing the same or similarly adventurous things. When you create the link to your home life you realize the extent of the extraordinary experiences you are having.

Almost two years ago I sat at the a Cheesecake Factory in Pittsburgh and said goodbye to one of my best friends.Tom had boughten a one way ticket to Thailand to get his ESL certificate and teach for a little. That little journey turned into way more. Fast forward two years and here I am in Chiang Mai, Thailand in his new home town. 

When he first appeared outside the hotel room it was strange. So much time had passed yet seeing him made it seem like it hadn't. The details over what we did the next two days aren't important. I'm pretty sure we could've sat in a empty room and had a good time. I got to meet his new friends, see his home away from home, went to a super cool temple, and talked a lot. 

There was so much to talk about. I mean two years is a long time. If I look back at the things I have done it is overwhelming. I'm in a totally different place than I was when we parted two years ago and I was so proud to share the new and happy changes in my life. I have made many of them. Although we are both different people now our friendship was clearly the same. Our jokes were the same and we didn't miss a beat. It felt like someone pressed the pause button when we said goodbye two years earlier and were just resuming the story. That is what true friendship is.

Sharing my stories with him in person felt amazing. The way I see it, there are a couple different types of people. One of those types are the people you meet that just make you want to be a better person. Tom falls in that category. It's so easy to feed off each others enthusiasm for travel and culture. He is the first person to have ever challenged my views and actually made me rethink some things a few years ago. Although I may not switch my stance on a subject it has made me think from other perspectives. It's a very special thing to have friends like that. It seems that the more I travel the more people like him I meet.

We had a blast. And although it does seem so bizarre that I saw my friend halfway across the world, it began to make perfect sense. I realized that we have spent more time being friends and hanging out in other countries than we actually have in the United States. Travel is what formed our friendship and what keeps it going. So although I have made many friends and share many memories with them this was special. 

Seeing him speak Thai to the local waiters opened my eyes to the fact we are adults. We aren't silly college kids studying abroad. Ok maybe we are still silly. But we are living a grown up life with real jobs and making important decisions in our lives. I can honestly say I am thrilled to be where I am in my life at this point and thrilled with the challenges I've taken along the way.  I hope to encounter more of my home friends abroad next summer. Dana and Elesa I'm talking about you.

This isn't just about him. It's about all the friendships I have made both through travel and home. The small ones, the brief meetings, the good and the bad, the ones that lasted and the ones that no longer exist, and especially the ones that have gone through ups and downs and still continue are what shapes me to be the person I am today. No matter how small they have all impacted my life. Friends can lead you to amazing places if you let them and without realizing it you are doing the same to others. So Thank you Tom, my friends from home, friends from travel, local friends, and family friends for inspiring and challenging me to follow my dreams. I hope that you continue to do the same!