Traveltips – Travelbug

Travel Buddy

November 24, 2019July 20, 2020 by patienceowenby3380

Today we’ll be talking all about travel partners – why they’re important, how to pick one, and how to keep them! This comes at an important time for me, as myself and my travel buddy book our next trip, and recover from our last one!

What is a Travel buddy?

A travel buddy is somebody that you go on the majority of your trips with. People will define this as different things, but I define it as somebody you go on 50% or more of your trips with. This isn’t to say that you aren’t able to travel with other people, but a travel buddy is someone you feel comfortable enough with to go on the majority of your adventures with.

Why have a travel buddy?

There are numerous reasons why having a travel buddy is advantageous over traveling alone or even just traveling with other, random people. Safety, comfort, and finances are all big factors in determining whether or not to have a travel buddy.

The first aspect to consider in travel buddy perks, is finances. The biggest perk is in hotels. Often the cheapest hotel rooms are two queen beds, and if you are willing to share a room with your travel buddy you can split your hotel costs in half. Seeing as hotel costs are one of the largest costs to consider when traveling, this is a huge perk. Often, you can get discounts on excursions when you buy two or more tickets, and when you purchase private tours, the cost can also be halved.

Comfort is another thing to consider when you are deciding whether or not having a travel buddy is worthwhile. When you are traveling the world, it can be nice to have someone to experience things with. Also, it can get quite lonely to be by yourself in a foreign place with no one to talk to. It can be difficult to explain to family and friends how traveling has impacted you, and it is comforting to have someone who can relate to those experiences. This can be even better when it’s a travel buddy versus a random person, because you will be comfortable with someone you are used to traveling with.

However, the most important thing to consider is safety. Having a partner that is experienced with traveling can be a great benefit when trying to navigate transportation systems, cities, and airports. This helps you not to get lost. Travel problems, such as airplane delays, theft, or scams are almost guaranteed to happen at some point if you travel enough. Having someone to back you up and bounce ideas off of while traveling can be very helpful in keeping you safe. It is also true that people are less likely to take advantage of you if you aren’t alone.

None of this is to say that you cannot travel solo, or with different people. There are some perks to traveling by yourself. If you are looking to travel solo, and you are a female, I highly recommend joining the Facebook page “The solo female travelers”. But I recommend being more experienced, and you definitely have to be more conscious than when you travel with a buddy.

How to select a travel buddy

Deciding who to travel with can be a pretty difficult, and such a big decision shouldn’t be taken lightly. A travel buddy is more than, and different than, a good friend. You don’t need to be best friends with the person you choose to be your travel buddies with, and your best friends won’t necessarily be good travel buddies. There are numerous aspects to look at when deciding who to explore the world with.

Should my significant other be my travel buddy?

As someone with a long term significant other, a lot of people ask me why my travel buddy isn’t my boyfriend. They think its weird that it wouldn’t be the natural assumption for me to want to travel with my boyfriend. However, early on my boyfriend and I discussed our travel desires and interests, and decided that he wouldn’t enjoy traveling to many of the places that I wanted to go. He wasn’t as comfortable as I was with the idea of getting out of our comfort zones and exploring foreign areas. So, although we do travel together, I have a different travel buddy. People assume that this means we just don’t enjoy being around each other, or that for some reason we love each other less than if we did travel together, but that simply isn’t true.

Just because you have a significant other does not mean they need to be your travel partner, and just because they aren’t your travel partner doesn’t mean you don’t love each other. You should base your travel partner on the following criteria, not on whether or not you are dating. If you work well traveling together, then that is perfect. A lot of couples do so successfully and have a wonderful time traveling the world together. However, do not be disappointed if this isn’t what works for your relationship. Hopefully, your significant other is trusting and understanding enough to allow you to travel without them.

Travel Expecations

One of the biggest things to look at when deciding whether or not be travel buddies with someone, is your travel expectations, and whether or not they match with your prospective travel buddy. How often do you want to travel each year? What regions of the world do you want to travel to? What types of activities do you want to do while traveling? What type of traveler do you want to be? Are you more interested in hiking and kayaking for instance, or do you want to visit museums and see beautiful pieces of architecture?

To work well while traveling together, you need to have similar traveling expectations. This should be something you discuss with your travel partner before you ever head out.

Athletic Ability

Something else to think about is your athletic ability. A lot of travel is exercise, and to make sure one isn’t holding the other back, make sure you have similar athletic ability. My travel partner and i hiked 30 miles in one week – if one of us was considerably slower than the other, or didn’t like to exercise that much, this could have led to a serious point of friction, and caused us not to see as much as we wanted to. After several weeks of adventure, its possible that your feet will hurt, your muscles will be sore, and you will be tired. After all of this, small differences in athletic ability will be very noticeable. Although being of different athletic ability shouldn’t entirely stop you from traveling together, its a point of consideration when you are choosing someone to travel the world with.

Financial situation

A tough discussion, but a necessary one nonetheless, is the financial situation of both people. Regardless of where or how you travel, traveling is expensive. If you are going to travel with someone, you have to determine how much each of you are willing to spend each year on travel. Be reasonable with each other, and select a reasonable amount to save up each year. If your financial situations are vastly different, it may be difficult to travel together – one of you will either need to travel less, or finance travel for the other person. This can lead to some resentment.

If your financial situations are not similar enough, this doesn’t mean you guys can’t travel together. But it may mean that the person with a more flexible financial situation travels with different people for part of the time as well, so that neither person is limited.

Time commitments

We all have lives that limit how often we can travel, and when we can travel. If one travel partner can only travel in summer, while the other travels only in fall, it can be difficult to find time to travel together. Another issue can be, if one person can only travel for a week a year, but the other can travel for half the year. This difference in expectations and needs can lead to friction while traveling, which is never good. Unfortunately, if your time allowances have no overlap, it may be difficult to travel together, however if it is just an issue of the amount of time, this does not mean you can’t travel together. As with finances, maybe one person just travels without the other for a portion of time.

Personalities

This is where friendship comes into play. Obviously, if you can’t get along with your travel buddy while you aren’t travelling, then it will be difficult to travel together. Although you dont need to be best friends, you do need to be able to get along well and socialize together. Traveling is often stressful and tiring, so being able to get along while you are tired and irritable is essential while traveling.

You don’t need to have similar personalities necessarily, but you need compatible personalities. And personality needs differ when you travel together. If one person isn’t a good planner, it may be necessary for the other person to pick up the slack. Maybe one person is good at navigating travel and flights, while the other is better at picking the perfect hotel. This is all something to think about when choosing the perfect travel buddy. Think about the flaws in your own travel style and find someone that compliments that well.

Maintaining a good travel buddy relationship

As I’ve said before, traveling is stressful! You don’t want that to lead to misery and hate between you and your travel buddy halfway through the trip, especially if you two are also friends at home. So, having a good plan to deal with this stress before leaving is very important.

“The Talk”

Everyone’s least favorite sentence in the world is “We need to talk.” But, with your travel buddy, it is necessary to say those four little words. It is important to talk about each other’s expectations BEFORE leaving for your trip. Not only your expectations for each other, but the trip overall. You should have this talk each time you leave for a new trip to refresh each person on the goals and expectations while you’re away.

Personal space

Regardless of how much you like someone, eventually you can get sick of them if you’re around them for too long. This can be an issue on longer or more stressful trips, where you are with your travel buddy every hour of every day for weeks on end. It is inevitable that at some point you may just need a break from each other. You need to have a way to tell your travel buddy to “F off” politely without hurting their feelings, letting them know that it’s nothing personal, you just need to get the heck away from them for a bit! So, it’s important to talk about this before leaving, during “The Talk”. My travel partner and I decided that if one of us says to the other “I just need some me time”, we have to give them 30 minutes of time where they can get away from us, with no hard feelings. But that’s just what works for us, you and your travel partner need to decide what works for you!

Fighting Negativity

It’s inevitable that you will get cranky at some point while traveling (At least, it is for me. Maybe some of you are better people haha). So it’s important to have a gentle way to tell your travel partner “Hey, you’re being a b*tch. Calm down.” For my travel buddy and I, we decided on the phrase “Stay positive!” I didn’t think we would need to use it, but after I lost my credit card in the only state in the US that didn’t host my bank, my travel buddy said it to me a few times. Sometimes bad things happen while you’re traveling, and it’s good to be able to be supportive of each other and be able to help each other. This is part of how my travel buddy and I do that, and I hope it works for you as well.

honesty

A big part of “The Talk” is just opening an honest pathway of communication between travel buddies. If you can’t be honest with each other, things will fester and before you know it, you’ll hate each other. Make it clear that you can tell each other anything that’s bothering you, without the other person taking it personally. If you’re doing something that bothers your travel buddy, they should be able to tell you without it hurting your feelings. Because it’s better for them to tell you upfront than for them to hold it in and hate you for it.

expectations

The one thing that is important to discuss prior to every single trip is the goal of each trip. What are you trying to accomplish? What’s the plan? What type of trip do you want to have? Small things like how active you want to be, how steadfast the plan needs to be, how late you want to sleep in each day, and how much you want to spend on food don’t seem like a big deal, but end up being what makes or breaks a trip and a friendship. One big clarification that my travel buddy and I made was that if one of us wanted to “leave the trail” to go see or experience something, we would change the plans to fit it in. Another thing we determine before each trip, is how many times each person is allowed to change or cancel a plan because they feel uncomfortable or want to do something else, regardless of the feelings of the other person. For instance, in Barcelona we each had 3 “get out of jail free” cards, that we could use to cancel any plan during the week for any reason. This is what worked for us, but it may or may not be what works for you. Just make sure to iron out all the details before you get there!

I hope you all found this information helpful! Until next time, live free my fellow travel bugs!

Colorado – USA

April 16, 2019April 16, 2019 by patienceowenby3380

General Information

Native Language: English (Americanized)
Currency: USD
Region: Central USA
Climate: Semiarid. Depending on region can be snowy during winter.
Country: USA
P safety rating: 9

Geography and Climate

Colorado is a temperate region, with warm summers and cold winters. Like the rest of the United States, their winters range from November to February, while their summers are from May to August. Winters can be quite frosty, so generally expect snow and ice. However summers are generally quite pleasant with highs in the high eighties.

Colorado is one of the more mountainous states in the US, due to the Rocky Mountains passing through it. It is also the only state that is entirely above 1000 ft in elevation. Expect to see mountains and a lot of evergreens.

What to Pack

What you should pack varies greatly on what time of the year you are going. If you are heading to Colorado in the winter, pack snow boots and a LOT of warm clothes. Don’t forget a waterproof jacket! The winter can be a great time to hit the slopes, so if you plan to do that pack accordingly.

I visited Colorado during the summer however, so my suitcase looked a little different. I brought a lot of light jackets, jeans, T-shirts, and tennis shoes. This was perfect for this weather. I even wore shorts most days.

The main point is to remember to pack for outdoorsy adventures. Is it really a trip to Colorado if you don’t make a couple of trips out into their beautiful wilderness? So pack hiking boots and walking clothes. Don’t forget to bring an empty water bottle for this trip!

Where to Stay

I actually went to Colorado to visit a friend of mine who goes to school there, so I was lucky enough to already have housing arranged for me when I arrived. Because of this, I don’t have any specific hotel recommendations. My friend lived near Fort Collins, and this was a great central point for all of our adventures. It was a cute, quaint little town that was very fun.

Image result for map of colorado regions

Central Colorado

Central Colorado is likely going to be the region you first visit when you travel here, through the Denver International Airport. This is where you will find large towns such as Boulder and Fort Collins, but also the Rocky Mountain National Park. Everything you may want to do in Colorado is packed into a mighty punch with Central Colorado. You can see nightlife in cities like Denver, but also go white water rafting or skiing. If you are on a limited timeframe, this region is a great place to stay.

I will say though that it may not be a great idea to stay in Denver. As a large city, it does have its fair share of problems and isn’t necessarily the safest place to stay. I would recommend staying in surrounding areas like Boulder, or even some of the smaller towns immediately outside of Denver.

Northwestern Colorado

Northwestern Colorado is less urbanized than Central Colorado, but with that said it does offer an even deeper look into the beautiful wilderness that is Colorado. With geothermic pools and skiing galore, this is a wonderful place to visit for winter. It also has several fossil and petroglyph sites for the archaeologists amongst us.

This is also where you will find the beautiful city of Aspen, which is known for its amazing ski slopes. If you are looking to play in the snow, look no further!

Eastern Colorado

Eastern Colorado is known as the plains of Colorado, and is the least densely populated region of the state. Out here you will see less of the mountains and trees, and more grasslands. Pueblo is the only sizable city in the area.

There are some regions of historical significance in Eastern Colorado, such as the Santa Fe National Historical Trail and the Pony Express National Historical Trail. However, if you are looking to experience “Colorado” I would travel elsewhere.

Western Colorado

Grand Junction is one of the larger cities in Western Colorado, and therefore would be the prime area to stay in this region. This region is significant for its farming and wineries, but there are also numerous outdoor activities to do. Black Canyon is a famous place to visit, and Aspen also borders this region.

Southern Colorado

Southern Colorado is entirely unique from the rest of the state, due to its dry climate and desert-like geography. The head of the Rio Grande can be found here, in the San Luis Valley. A lot of smaller hotel options can be found around this region. This could be a good home base for those looking for a slightly more unique experience while in colorado.

Getting around

Colorado is a big state, with a lot of empty space in between the cities. If you are planning on exploring at all, I would recommend renting a car for your stay. If you plan to go during winter, or are going to a snowy region of Colorado, make sure you rent a car that has four wheel drive. Also make sure you or someone in your party is comfortable with driving in the snow. Uber and Lyft are both options in the bigger cities of Colorado, and if you don’t plan on leaving the city they can be good options as well.

Culture Shocks

As someone who lives in the US, there weren’t a lot of culture shocks for me while traveling here. Looking back, I can’t think of anything that would be atypical for an American state in the way of culture. If you aren’t from the US, be on the lookout for an article coming where I will discuss US culture and what to expect from different regions and different communities in the United States.

Food

For my trip, I stayed mostly in Central Colorado, so all of my recommendations will be based on that region.

Ewe’s (Manitou Springs)

Photo taken from Yahoo, my phone had died by this point in our trip so I don’t have many photos.

We spent the afternoon in Manitou Springs on our way to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings (which I’ll talk about later). They serve very good, hearty German food and beer. They are known for their beers. Their food was quality for a low price, ~$10 USD a plate.

Kokomo Sno (Manitou Springs)

Kokomo Sno had some of the best shaved ice I have ever had. It was a fun stop before we got back in the car, and was fairly affordable for the amount of shaved ice you get! They are located in Manitou Springs in a food truck.

Krazy Karls (Fort Collins)

My friend who lives in Fort Collins claimed that this place had the best pizza in the town, and I have to agree. If you find yourself in this area, its a great place to stop and get a bite. The pizza was decadent for a reasonable price, and they staff mostly college students (as a college student myself, I always feel the need to help out my struggling peers). Don’t forget to try the grinders! ~$15 USD a plate.

Cafe Athens (Fort Collins)

As someone who strongly identifies with my greek heritage, it was refreshing to have authentic greek food. The food was delicious and affordable. Their gyros are exceptionally good, and their salads were fresh. I made my travel partners try the baklava and it was delicious and fresh. ~$10 USD a plate.

Experiences

Zip lining

We went zip lining with Denver Adventures, and I would highly recommend them if you are in that area. It was my entire group’s first time zip lining and we all had a blast. As someone who is afraid of heights, I was both terrified and excited to face my fears by pummeling through a canyon on a rope. For about $60 USD each, we went on the longest, the fastest, and the tallest zip lines in Colorado, and it truly was a blast! Wear comfortable shoes and clothes that hug you (so they won’t get caught in the straps of your harness). Everyone in our group wore light jackets and sunglasses and we were happy we did! The sunglasses helped us to see by blocking sunlight and the wind, which made it a much more enjoyable experience.

Plan to drive for quite a ways out to wherever you plan on zip lining, as generally the locations are fairly out of the way. Don’t plan on bringing anything that you wouldn’t want to drop thousands of feet.

Rafting

We went rafting with “Wanderlust Adventures”, for $60 USD for a half day trip. We went on the Taste of Whitewater, but by the end had wished we had done a more advanced tour. It was a general consensus in our group that this was the most fun excursion we had during the entire trip. Even though it was a more subtle, calm trip we all had adrenaline seeping through us and were laughing in joy by the end.

Expect to get wet and cold on this trip, and don’t bring anything you wouldn’t want to get wet! We were ferried in a bus from the business to the river (we went on the Poudre River) which took about an hour. We then did two loops around the river. Expect to be tired by the end of the trip, and I wouldn’t plan on doing anything else after this adventure.

Shambhala Mountain Reserve

Shambhala Mountain Reserve and the Great Stupa, were awe inspiring to say the least. We spend an entire day wandering around the reserve, took a meditation class, and hiked up to the stupa. I don’t believe you need to be buddhist to appreciate the beauty of this excursion. It is quite a drive out to the reserve, so start the day early. There also wasn’t much in the way of food, so eat before you head out or pack lunches. Finding the Stupa can take some time, and its easy to get lost in the reserve, so look up directions on how to navigate through the reserve before setting out. Also, expect your phone to lose service on the way to the reserve, and print out directions before you go!

Garden of the Gods

I will start this by saying we did not carve out enough time for the Garden of the Gods. Though it’s only about an hour to drive through it, to actually appreciate these feats of nature takes much longer. I wish we had planned to spend more time here, so that we could have gotten out and hiked around a bit. Otherwise, the stop is not as awe inspiring as it should be and leads to just a frustratingly slow drive. Plan to hike around for a bit, and get there early so you can find parking to do so! Note that the Garden of the Gods is usually very busy, and traffic can be very slow.

The Cave of the Winds

I felt as though the Cave of Winds was one of those tourist traps, designed to pull money from those who visit there, and we were sucked in to said trap. The rides are incredibly overpriced and completely not worth the money, and the same could be said for the food. We went on the cave tour, and though it was nice, it was not exceptional. The paths have been completely carved for tourists, so there is little adventure, and it is always crowded (With a tour group in front of you and behind you at all times). I wouldn’t recommend this excursion.

Manitou Cliff Dwellings

The manitou cliff dwellings are a set of Anasazi ruins that originated in the Mcelmo canyon (yes, this spot is not their original home). Although it is unfortunate that this is not the original site of the pueblos, it is still an exciting historical spot if you are unable to make it to Mesa Verde (if the pueblos are something you are interested in, this is a great stop! Unfortunately I was not able to make it up there on my trip). You have nearly complete reign to wander and explore the pueblos, with interesting historical artifacts inside the visitors center. Well worth the $10 admission!

I hope you all found this information helpful! Until next time, live free my fellow travel bugs!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is PC150633.jpg