6 Benefits to having a travel partner

1. Help with gear in tight or dirty spaces.

No matter how small you travel, there will always be a place you visit that’s just a bit too small or too dirty to manage your gear. Though we each travel with only a backpack and carry-on roller bag, the small spaces of a bathroom can be the most difficult for these items. Sometimes it’s just a matter of trying to close the bathroom stall door which practically brushes the toilet. And if the bathroom is of the filthy style, we don’t want our gear anywhere near it. Yes, a partner to watch the gear helps!

2. Someone to double-check the details.

Planning takes a lot of work and after a while, planning fatigue occurs. We might think we chose the right time for the plane or train ticket, but oops, a different one got checked when we compared the prices. We may know the correct platform for our train, until they change it on arrival and we must listen to the announcement in another language. Yes, a partner to double-check the minute details helps!

3. Extra eyes for safety.

Whether we’re standing on the crowded train platform or preparing to cross the street, having four eyes to monitor the surroundings is always better than two. We’ve seen drivers clip the curb in a turn, lots of dog poop on the sidewalk, and sketchy people pushing to get onto the train. Yes, a partner to watch the surroundings helps!

4. Secondary interpretation of language.

Unless you are fluent in multiple languages, there will always be a word or a phrase that is missed or just misunderstood. Sadly, we are not fluent in other languages. Phone apps help to translate, but even they show differences in translation (as we have discovered). Interpreting signs are easier unless the bus we’re on drove past that sign just a little too fast for translation. Effectively hearing and translating what another person just said depends on the rate of speaking, the enunciation, the amount of slang, the quantity of non-verbal language, and the background noise. Yes, a partner to hear or see the same message helps (then we can compare notes for accuracy)!

5. Double the food, double the fun.

Travelers must eat to maintain their strength, right? And hopefully the food there is enjoyable. Except for food allergies, it stands to reason that two people could order two different meals and try samples of each. Therefore, we can double the amounts of food we sample when we each order a different entrée and share. In fact, some cultures will even share their food with strangers naturally. Yes, a partner ordering different foods helps (so we don’t look like pigs)!

6. Fixing mistakes.

It’s a fact that we as humans will make mistakes of small and large varieties. These mistakes can cause a heightened emotional state which can even lead to more mistakes. A GOOD partner can pick up the pieces and try to shift you out of the series of mistakes. In Italy, we had a train about to arrive, and we had forgotten to validate our ticket (an expensive mistake). In this case, one person stayed with the gear and the other ran to validate train ticket with speed. Yes, a partner fix mistakes helps!

There are just as many benefits for traveling solo as there are for traveling together. Our solo traveling was in the USA where we knew the language and most of the cultural norms. Conclusively, we are thrilled to be partnered on this grand excursion.