Travel Junkies (and dreamers!) Unite!

[Teri's Therapy]

Soooo...if I could spend every second of my life on the road, I would! I am that person whose heart races when I think about leaving! Recently I signed up with a group online called Hospitality Club, now I can give back to travelers...someone coming through here can now find me for a meal, advise, and sometimes a place to crash.

I have had a number of great experiences while on the road, both in the states and internationally. I was recently thinking that many of my favorite memories invloved local folks, thier reccomendations, laughter, and sometimes even crashing on a strangers floor! (funny, we don't invite people in our homes much here in the USA)

So my question to the group (especially those more well traveled than myself) is...how do you meet people, make connections, while staying safe, keeping it cheap, not knowing the language, etc?

Basically, share your tale and advise! Thanks in advance for sharing!

~Teri~

 

[Cheesecakelady]

Teri,

I feel the same way about travel. I travel as much as possible and I have had some wonderful experiences. I have done both group travel and travel with friends and family. In the past few years, we have started to do something that has made it very easy to meet people. It is a lot of fun and quite an attention getter. It's sort of a long story and we have used several variations but the info is in the site listed below.

A friend and I started a web site/blog on which we have summarized some of our adventures. If you would like to check it out it is LearnTravelGrow.com. I am in the process of revising the site and I still haven't added all of the trips yet but I am working on it. I am always ready to leave for a new adventure and jump at any opportunities that come along.

Cheesecakelady

 

[Cooper'sMom]

Soooo...if I could spend every second of my life on the road, I would! I am that person whose heart races when I think about leaving! Recently I signed up with a group online called Hospitality Club, now I can give back to travelers...someone coming through here can now find me for a meal, advise, and sometimes a place to crash.

I have had a number of great experiences while on the road, both in the states and internationally. I was recently thinking that many of my favorite memories invloved local folks, thier reccomendations, laughter, and sometimes even crashing on a strangers floor! (funny, we don't invite people in our homes much here in the USA)

So my question to the group (especially those more well traveled than myself) is...how do you meet people, make connections, while staying safe, keeping it cheap, not knowing the language, etc?

Basically, share your tale and advise! Thanks in advance for sharing!

~Teri~

Ever been to Melbourne (Australia)??? You'll find a lot of friendly people over there, no sweat at all. My DH is the 'merican side of our union. When I first brought him to Australia "to meet the folks" he was quite surprised to find Aussies to be very friendly and unassuming, honest to a fault and very welcoming. Sometimes i wonder if he married because of that part of my culture...

DH is now retired. I am a semi-retired photographer, taking only assignments that I like to do that is. But hubby used to be an airline captain so we easily travel everywhere, here and overseas, apart from going home to Australia at least twice a year. We travel a lot during the summer. We are members of a car club too that have monthly events. We meet friends through that club too.

Meeting people is easy. It depends on your attitude and knowing when to bite your tongue on most occasions. Some we keep, some we just couldn't be bothered with. We keep who we want to keep and put them in our Christmas list. I suppose most people are the same as us, especialy now with the internet, you do not have to go out of the country physically. I have met my truest friends from the net and met with them physically too, much later on.

 

[Teri's Therapy]

Teri,

I feel the same way about travel. I travel as much as possible and I have had some wonderful experiences. I have done both group travel and travel with friends and family. In the past few years, we have started to do something that has made it very easy to meet people. It is a lot of fun and quite an attention getter. It's sort of a long story and we have used several variations but the info is in the site listed below.

A friend and I started a web site/blog on which we have summarized some of our adventures. If you would like to check it out it is LearnTravelGrow.com. I am in the process of revising the site and I still haven't added all of the trips yet but I am working on it. I am always ready to leave for a new adventure and jump at any opportunities that come along.

Cheesecakelady

WOW! That is a lot of info, I can't imagin how much more your "catching up" involves!

I've done a group trip once, mostly travel alone now (preferable) or with my partner. I think solo travel and couple travel both pose interesting barriers...I find people aviod couple more when traveling, like they never want to "interrupt" your couple time!

Thank you so much for sharing!

 

[Teri's Therapy]

Ever been to Melbourne (Australia)??? You'll find a lot of friendly people over there, no sweat at all. My DH is the 'merican side of our union. When I first brought him to Australia "to meet the folks" he was quite surprised to find Aussies to be very friendly and unassuming, honest to a fault and very welcoming. Sometimes i wonder if he married because of that part of my culture...

DH is now retired. I am a semi-retired photographer, taking only assignments that I like to do that is. But hubby used to be an airline captain so we easily travel everywhere, here and overseas, apart from going home to Australia at least twice a year. We travel a lot during the summer. We are members of a car club too that have monthly events. We meet friends through that club too.

Meeting people is easy. It depends on your attitude and knowing when to bite your tongue on most occasions. Some we keep, some we just couldn't be bothered with. We keep who we want to keep and put them in our Christmas list. I suppose most people are the same as us, especialy now with the internet, you do not have to go out of the country physically. I have met my truest friends from the net and met with them physically too, much later on.

Cooper' Mom, I love Australia! I last went in Sept/Oct. I took my husband for the first time, and another first...my father! (a great story in itself, traveling with you pops and your man...AAAAH!) We went for a dear friend's wedding in Toowoomba, and she married a Melbourne man, I met lots of great folks from down there and do plan on making my next trip down that way! (A sidenote, he didn't marry you for that part of your culture, he probably married you for that hot Aussie accent we yanks love so much!)

I do think you are right that ease of travel is huge, I don't have it, so I can say that! Also, common interests, even the smallest tie, helps ease you into friendships...my parents were car club people for years and met many folks that they may never had become friends with otherwise.

Easy communcation is huge in maintaining a connection, it can so easily be lost with time and distance. I met my friend in Australia the first time I was there in 2000, and she has come to Cali once, this last visit made 3 physical interactions in 8 years...the internet and phone held us together beyond that!

I think a lot hinges on trust, I find the people of Australia to be far more receptive and friendly towards tourists (AKA stragers) than we are. We are so pariniod to even make contact with other people, much less smll talk or having a cup of coffee.

Best, Teri