Traveling, as many people would agree, is the truest test of friendship. Being friends with someone is one thing, but traveling with them? An entirely different story.
Traveling with someone really boils your friendship down to the bare bones of how similar you really are: in life, in ideals, in culture.
Many people are not so lucky to have an amazing travel companion, because it really is tough to find a friend who travels the same way you do. But when you travel with your best friend and find that it works, you have truly found the best kind of friendship that can exist. If you can travel with someone, you have seriously hit the jackpot!
Traveling with your best friend is different than traveling with a simple acquaintance. A best friend is someone you know inside and out, someone whose history you are familiar with, and someone who knows you just as well also. Traveling with your best friend will be tough at times, but, because you both know each other so well, it is much easier to make it work.
Here are a few things that will inevitably happen when you have found that amazing bond of travel friendship on a voyage with your very best friend:
You have a million inside jokes.
You've been through many hilarious moments and strange mishaps being together so much, and many of these evolve into hilarious jokes that only you understand. You can say a single word to each other and start laughing uncontrollably, or understand each other with a simple abbreviation or hand signal. You get to a point that you even sound to others like you are speaking a completely different inside-joke comprised language. You just get each other like that.
Although you may be welcoming, you sometimes seem exclusive because of the sheer amount of inside jokes you have.
You meet up with other travelers often, and become friends with many on the road. But no matter who you're hanging out with, you still have so much more in common with each other after traveling together. While in a group you might crack an inside joke or think of a funny memory you had together, and people will obviously feel a bit awkward when you two burst out laughing and they have no idea why. You don't mean to do this, it just... happens. You can't help how hilarious it was the other day when one of you slipped off their bed, or how funny that selfie you took wearing awful ponchos was. You will often try and explain the moment to others, but, you kinda had to be there.
You take killer Instagram photos of each other.
You know what each other wants in a photo, and aren't afraid to make them retake it until they get it right. You guys are so close you can easily tell them to go back and retake it if you, say, wanted your feet in the photo or if your hair was out of place, and it wouldn't be awkward in the slightest. You have taken some awesome photos of each other and always give each other credz. You're basically a little photography team working to get each others' perfect travel shots. Which you, of course, do.
People know you as travel buddies and nickname you as such.
"Oh look, it's the California girls." "Here come the Dutch boys." "Where did the Australians go?" "Let's wait for the Brazilians."
People tend to know you as where you come from, and you will both start to respond to being called your home country, city, or state. That being said, people get confused when they only see one of you because you're always a package deal. But usually the other one of you is just in the shower or bathroom, because it starts to be weird being apart for too long!
You get low key separation anxiety when apart for too long.
If one of you has to sit in a different aisle of the plane, bus, or ferry, you weirdly start to miss each other. If one of you goes to the store or bathroom or basically does anything different than the other of you, you feel slightly... incomplete. Like the other half of you is missing. You have to act more normal because you are alone and can't have the continuous ridiculous dialogue that you are used to having together at all times. It's like a little sigh of relief when you are reunited again, and you go straight back to your hilarious behavior right away.
You encourage each other.
You become each other's number one fan in everything you do. Traveling by definition is largely about facing fears, challenging yourself, and stepping out of your comfort zone. When you are traveling with your best friend, you help each other tackle these fears and challenges by being each others' number one cheerleaders. You grow by helping each other grow, and encourage each other every step of the way.
You learn from each other.
Whatever your differences may be, you will learn from each others' ways. The slower one may learn quickness, while the faster one may learn patience. The shy one may learn to be outgoing, while the extrovert may learn to sometimes pause and step back to take in the moment. The reserved one may learn to be more brave, while the adventurous one may learn that it's important to be careful. Whatever it is, you can both learn from each other's mannerisms and predispositions, and you get to know each others' ways more and more while traveling.
You step out of your comfort zone together
"Want to try eating snail?"
"Want to go cliff jumping?"
"Want to go trekking, camping, or adventuring into a local village?"
"... I'll do it if you do it."
When traveling with your best friend, you feed off each other and push each other. If one of you is game for something, chances are the other will be too with just a little bit of convincing. This goes for anything from trying a questionable local food to putting yourself out there to try to interact with locals. With your best friend, you feel more comfortable with the uncomfortable. You will always experience things together, because together, more is always possible.
You understand each other on a much deeper level.
When you travel with someone, you really get to know them inside and out. When you are already best friends, this extends even more. You know what each other loves and hates, you know each other's moods, you know what each other would want to eat, you even know the different types of ways each other acts while drinking and each other's type in the opposite sex. You know when to leave each other alone and when to talk. You go through a lot trying to navigate from place to place, find accomodation and transportation, and being together 24/7, and you learn how to get through things together. You really just get to know each other so incredibly well when traveling together, which strengthens your friendship so much.
You legitimately seem to slowly morph into the same person
You realize, the longer you travel, that you are becoming more and more similar. It's like your souls are syncing up or something. It can be strange at times. You become more and more on the same page, always feeling the same vibes. You both want to go out, or you both don't. You both want a Nutella crepe, or you both want a salad. You both want to exercise, or be gluttonous on the couch. Sometimes you will weirdly put on similar outfits without realizing it. It sounds strange but it really happens! It's weird yet amazing to have a nice little travel soul twin emerge after a while traveling with your best friend.
You start saying the same things
You'll notice, if you travel together long enough, that you super creepily start to occasionally finish each other's sentences or say the same things at the same time. When you spend so much time together your slang, terminology, and even tiny little vocal inflections start to evolve together until you guys literally say the same obscure words, speak in similar ways, sometimes laugh the same, and in extreme cases even say the exact same things, at the same times. Maybe you will both respond the same way to someone's question, or react the same way to a joke. It's weird. It's creepy. But deep down, it's love. Deep soul friend love.
Your slang is exactly the same
Similar to above, you will both start using the same words. You will hear each other's different slang and start using it yourself. If either of you had certain words that you tended to say before your trip, you will both start to adopt each others' words until you both say the same strange things together. It's kinda like you form your own language. People might think it's weird, but in reality, it is awesome. And you and your friend know it even if others don't! :P
You friendship is overall taken to the next level
When you're traveling with your best friend, eventually there is absolutely nothing held back between you. You know everything about each other and are not ashamed of anything in front of each other, whether this means using the toilet, changing, or doing literally anything. Everything is out on the table here, and the connection that strengthens as a result of this is incredible. You will always be close, and will always be able to fondly remember moments from your travels together as you plan for your next trip. Because friends who travel together, STAY together -- it's a fact.
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