Navigating personalities and personal habits when you travel with others is always an interesting element of consideration. We tend to wave off the discomforts, sleepless or uncomfortable nights, minor irritations or dislikes that arise when it is a temporary period of time. 

What is the most amount of time before true compromise and shifts must be conducted because someone is about to explode? I reckon it’s about three full days.

I’m writing this in the early hours of a morning on the tail end of the first 24-hours of a ladies’ road trip, just a short distance and time from our homes. Somehow, I managed to be gifted with the larger room and solitude. The other two ladies are ostensibly sharing a room since it has two single beds. However, when I woke up this morning, I could hear one snoring and found the other on the couch in the open living room.

Having a tough night’s sleep will definitely affect the interactions of the day, especially when our personalities differ quite a lot. Still, there are elements of commonality that brought our friendship together. Are we the best of friends? No, not yet and potentially never. Yet, friendships take time, effort, and space. In being here together, we are creating memories and negotiating our understanding of one another. 

Sometimes, I wonder at my expressions of my own preferences, regimented routines, and statements of being an introvert leading to my dislike of people, which we know is a complicated statement. I reflect on whether or not it is selfish of me to say these things out loud or if it makes me appear to be too defined.

Yet, in these kinds of situations–rather most socially interactive ones–I am very glad that I express myself clearly with understanding of who I am. People tend to respect my ways when I am open and honest.

I go to bed at 9pm almost every night.

I wake up a little after 5 or 5:30 most mornings.

I like quiet time before I sleep as well as when I first wake up.

If these elements are respected, I am generally pretty flexible with everything else. When I am traveling, I like to have an itinerary and idea of what to do, but I do not need to be set to a schedule unless there is something that is time-specific. This, I think, makes me a good travel companion. For most things, I go with the flow as long as I can recharge or find pockets of space and time to myself here and there, but nothing demanding.

Oh, there is one other important element, I forgot–never ever let me get hangry! I wish I were kidding.

So, one of the ladies on this trip took on the food side checking out restaurants in the different areas posted on the itinerary, which has been super duper helpful. The other has self-proclaimed she’s just along for the ride, happy to have escaped the rock and see some other parts of the country–though to be fair she does travel around quite a bit.

Another question I have considered is what is the perfect number for a small travel group. Is it three or four? Two is good and easy, though you must definitely get along well with each other because there is no “escaping” unless well-communicated and understood. Four has the potential of pairs breaking off from one another, yet can also give a small reprieve mixing it up. 

When I walked the Camino de Santiago, there were three of us. Yet, the challenge of that is if two pair off, then one is left behind. This pairing could be two wanting to do something the one does not, or it could be common irritations against the one. So, that, too, has challenges to navigate.

Obviously, there is no ideal or perfect situation.

Like with all things, open and honest communication is always the key. Most importantly, for me, sleeping well makes all the difference!

~T 🔥🐉♋️