There is a great difference between having a friend who you get along well with and having a great traveling companion and the truth is that not every friend makes for the best travel buddy. My friend Tatiana Kukanova is my best travel buddy and whilst she isn’t actually my closest or oldest friend, when traveling together we just mesh so well. Traveling can be tough, enjoyable, exciting and sad, it is a pastime which really tackles every emotion in your body and that is why you need to make sure that you have someone like Tatiana Kukanova on your side. Here is why Tatiana Kukanova is the perfect travel buddy, perhaps these are some qualities you can look for when choosing who you will travel with.
Stress Free
Some of my friends get so stressed out about traveling that it actually has a negative impact on my feelings and my mood. They worry about booking transport, getting there on time, losing things, being in danger and just about everything else that you can think of. Tatiana however is not like this at all, she is perfectly calm in all situations, she is pragmatic and logistical in her approach and together we are always super organized and very relaxed. Traveling can be stressful but you don’t need that stress to come from the person who you are traveling with.
Independent
Whilst you may be traveling with someone this doesn’t mean that you don’t require them to be independent from time to time. I have had friends who have stuck to me like glue during our trips, because they are unable to entertain themselves or go out and speak to strangers. With Tatiana we have a great understanding, we are both independent and do our own thing, yet we also love being together and respecting each other’s space. Independence is such an important characteristic in a travel companion.
Reading the Signs
Something else which is vitally important when traveling with someone is that they are able to read your moods. There are days on the road when I just don’t feel like talking to anyone and you need a travel companion who will be able to see this and not take offense from it, just respect the way you feel. There are days when I am on cloud 9 for example and I can see that Tatiana is not really up for it, on those days I’ll curtail my emotions in front of her and head out on my own for a bit to give her some space. It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows when you go traveling and you need a travel companion who will be able to recognize this.
The best thing that Tatiana brings to our travels is her empathy and her love for life, we almost never fight when we are traveling and we very rarely are at crossed paths. Make sure that you don’t just chose your best friend, but the best person to travel with.
