Friends Around The World

Why do you travel?

Is it to relax? Sight see? Be a tourist? While there is no wrong answer, your purpose for travelling can shape your experience.

People plan whole trip itineraries around these reasons, often a combination of more than one. Ideally on any trip you'll find time to unwind, take in new sights and explore a new place, breathing it all in as only someone foreign can. But my main reason for travelling?

Making and building friendships.

This is really the best thing about travelling. I consider myself fortunate to be able to have friends in many parts of the world. And know what? Anyone can make friends anywhere they go.

We live in a time where the internet is vast and plentiful, and can make it easy to connect with people, no matter where they are. I have a lot of very specific and nerdy (otaku to the Japanese!)  interests and hobbies. Since I love music, collecting records and DJ'ing I ususally start there. It doesn't matter what your interest is; agriculture or Pokemon Go there is a community for you. Facebook is a good place to start because Facebook groups and events can make it easy to connect to others.

You can start by finding a Facebook group that matches your interest. For example, since I collect records, one of the groups I've found is called "The Vinyl Record Association". This is a group that started in Southern California but boasts membership all over the world. This group alone has allowed me to connect with heaps of other record collectors and DJ's like myself, including good friends in LA, Mexico City and beyond.

I'm also never shy to put the word out that I'm travelling somewhere and I always ask friends if they know anyone where I'm going that they could introduce me to.

Like when I went to Japan, there was no way I could let myself travel so far away without making friends. So I put the word out, and was being given introductions to mutual friends in both Tokyo and Osaka before I knew it. Sometimes you even learn things you didn't know about your own friends! I had no idea a friend of mine had lived in Osaka for a year almost ten years ago - but she had and so she introduced me to her friend who I got to meet, DJ with and am now dating!

I LOVE THE INTERNET.

Seriously though, because then I get to come home after and keep in touch with the awesome friends I've been so lucky to make. I also try to encourage them to visit me too, I'd love to get to show my friends from around the world some of my favourite places in Toronto! I also feel like I'm constantly connected to the places I've been. By following and keeping in touch with my friends I get an intimate view into day to day life all over the world with tools like Instagram, Facebook and photos.

You also get a whole different experience when you travel and visit friends, and when you can truly feel a place and it's pulse like a local. You can see things and go places that you aren't going to find in every travel magazine and blog, and experience a more relaxed down to earth version than the typical tourist hype of anywhere you go. You're also able to have an easy time finding events and things to do that are going to be right up your alley - instead of just the basic sightseeing that everybody does.

Even doing the typical tourist stuff often comes with a better experience (and/or price!) when you're doing it with locals like a local.

The first time I went to Mexico City, one of the "touristy" things I really wanted to do go for a trajineras (gondola boat) ride in the floating gardens of Xochilmilco. If I had gone on my own with my verrrrry limited Spanish, I would have been paid about 3x more and done the same route that every foreigner sees. Instead, I went with my local friends who were able to barter a really good price for a few hours of boating. The best part of the whole trip was when we reached a fork in the canal the operator asked if we wanted to take the regular route, or the more relaxed route. We picked the more relaxed route and had the most awesome afternoon as a result.

And then there's the best part of making friends; we know there are countless psychological and health benefits to having positive friendships in our life. Living miles away from some of your friends doesn't diminish these benefits either, and can even increase them! Having friends all over the world opens our minds and hearts to how other people live. Opening yourself to friends of different backgrounds and cultures is one way to counter hate and division that is often too common in the world.

Sure it can be intimidating to make friends locally, never even mind globally but you have some secret shyness like me (believe it or not!), try to keep in mind that most people are open to making new friends, especially friends around the world. It's also why I suggest starting with groups of people who share similar interests or asking through mutual friends. It takes some of the initial pressure off and already bonds you to common interests and people.

With this is mind, get out and make friends everywhere! Friendship increases our sense of belonging and purpose, and when you have belonging and purpose all over, the world is your oyster.