The Travel Chica

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Visiting strangers in Maine

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One thing it took me a while to learn while I was traveling in Latin America is to be a better friend.

What do I mean by that?

The majority of interactions we have with other travelers are very casual.  When we talk to another traveler in our hostel or at a café, we are reaching out simply to have someone familiar (speaks our language, comes from a similar culture) to interact with.  We will most likely never speak to or see that person ever again.

That does not mean those interactions are insignificant.

I have had impactful, meaningful conversations with people that I don’t even know how to contact and some whose names I don’t even remember.  In some cases, it is fine that I will never speak with that person again.  In other cases, I wish I had made the effort to find a piece of paper and a pen.

If you want good friends, you have to be a good friend.

I have known that for years and feel very lucky to have such good friends.  And even though I was still in touch with friends back home, I craved face-to-face friendships.

When I settled in Buenos Aires I took the time to make good friends that I have stayed in touch with and am already making plans to see again.  And it reminded me how much I missed making real friends during my early days traveling through Central America.

During my last trip to Buenos Aires for guide book research, I met Francine and Paul on a city art tour.  They were vacationing in Buenos Aires for a month, and they were interested in what I was doing (both the travel sabbatical and the travel guide), so we decided to meet for lunch.  We had great conversation and discovered we have similar interests and similar attitudes about life.

So we met for lunch again.  Francine and Paul quickly became my partners in crime as I ate my way through Buenos Aires.

When we parted ways in Buenos Aires, they told me to come visit them anytime at their home in small-town coastal Maine.

I found myself back home and wanting to plan a few trips in the US before starting back to work full-time.  One of those trips will be a big city, touristy trip.

I also wanted a laidback, relaxing trip.

And I thought it would be great to visit people I know, since I would be traveling solo again.

I emailed Francine.

She said they really did mean it when they told me to visit anytime.  So I booked my flight.

I told my friends I was going to Maine.  They said,

It’s going to be beautiful.  Who do you know there?

I explained how I met Francine and Paul and how we had lunch a few times and exchanged some emails since they left Buenos Aires.

So they’re strangers?

 Ummm… no.  They are my friends.  But I can understand why some people might consider them to be strangers.

Long-term solo travel taught me how to make lasting friendships quickly.

If you really click with someone, make an effort to stay in touch.  Make an effort to get to know them better.  Combine your love of traveling with improving your friendships, and you get the added bonus of visiting a place you never knew about and seeing it like a local .

Now I find myself in a small town on the coast of Maine.

I am looking forward to fresh seafood, pretty views overlooking the water, lighthouses, and learning about this area from locals.  But beyond that, I am looking forward to learning more about my new friends from New York City…who live in Maine… who I met in Buenos Aires.  (Sometimes it does seem like a small world.)

Have you ever visited someone you met during your travels?

Comments

  2. I’ve stayed in touch online with some people I met while traveling, and hope to see them whenever I make it to their area. I also met people online that I ended up spending time with as I traveled. I can see how people would think of them as strangers, yet you can always be careful and meet them in a public places first. I enjoy connecting with people from all over, that’s one of my favorite parts about travel.
    Ayelet – All Colores recently posted..Colorado: When a Quirky Town Meets Halloween…. at Night!

  5. I think it’s great you did this and got to visit a beautiful spot as well. Keeping in touch with/meeting up with people I’ve met while traveling is something I often think of doing, but don’t often do. I don’t know why I don’t. I’m always really happy when someone I’ve met traveling or crossed paths with comes to town and gets in touch.
    Margaret recently posted..Travel photography: still life with bicycle

    • There are many things in life we want to do but don’t do… often I think because it seems like too much work or we don’t want to burden others. I struggle with that too (I think it’s cultural), and this was just one step in trying to get past that and live a more fulfilled life. I have many more steps to take :-)
      Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Can I live car-free in Columbus?

  7. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this post!!! My recent trip to Ireland completely changed my perspective. Or rather, it affirmed what I’ve said for years but really hit home with the Irish people. Read my latest post to see what I mean.

    However, I’ve now realized that the best thing about travel is the people I meet. I don’t care that much about the places or sights. It’s these people and these memories that matter. When I think about my recent trip to Ireland, all my stories from that trip are about the people I hung out with.

    I love the Irish people. They get it. And I really really want to keep in touch with the people I met. And I really want to see them again.
    Jeremy Branham recently posted..What the Irish people and craic taught me about life

  8. Very cool! I agree, you can connect with people even if it’s just for a short period of time. I’m still in touch with people I met while traveling and you never know when your paths are going to meet again. Kudos to you for planning a trip because of people you met while traveling.
    Laurel recently posted..Kayaking with Crocs in Katherine Gorge

    • I just decided that some of those connections were too big to leave crossing paths to chance. And I had so much fun and really felt like I was on a relaxing vacation rather than a sight-seeing expedition…. I’m definitely going to plan more trips around visiting friends in the future.
      Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Travel the World Through Food

  9. I’m yet to visit someone I met during my solo travels. It never occurred at the time that we could actually make friends mainly because my stays at one place were short. However, like you said, the conversations were meaningful and fun too. Anyway, it’s good to see that you’ve made friends. By the way, the scenery of that last photo looks really beautiful.
    Shamis @ Gawaya Travel Blog recently posted..Bora Bora Resorts On The Water

  11. We’ve had some awesome experiences catching up with people we barely know but met while travelling. I’d love to visit Maine…what a great way to do it!

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