Travel Buds
“Happiness [is] only real when shared”
I am down in Varkala, Kerala. I start this leg of my trip out in Kochi (also in Kerala), where I stay in the historical Fort Kochi region and meet two people, a professor from Goa and a girl from Germany, who make it fun to see some architecture, drink at a bar, play pool, and dance like no one is watching.
Originally I wanted to scuba dive in this region, but I am demotivated based on some of the pictures of the sites. Spending money to get my advanced license is worth it, but I might as well do that at a location where the diving itself is fun. I’m going to forego it for now in hopes of a better spot (I might regret that later, but we’ll see). From here, I find some travelers going to Varkala and they mention it’s a beach town with great backpacker vibes. That’s enough for me to book a train and make the 4-hour journey down.
After arriving at a hostel in Varkala, I am engulfed by the events at the hostel. Watching a few people go to the beach, I immediately feel inspired to get fit. I put on my running shoes and follow this tall Indian dude down to the beach. There, I go out for a 3 miler at sunset on the beach. After I get back, Jess invites me to a family dinner and Adam organizes payment for the fish curry. As soon as we sat down to eat family dinner, I immediately hit it off with the group. At that moment, I have no idea that the first three people I interacted with are the people I’ll be feeling a special bond.
Travel friends are special - you can be completely who you want to be around them. As a solo traveler, I don’t feel the need to interact with people that I don’t enjoy. I tend to size up travelers quickly, trust fully, enjoy vulnerable moments, and keep the commitment low. I can tag along for events that sound interesting and do something on my own and no one takes any offense. When I find people I enjoy hanging out with, I find that I tag along with them everywhere they will allow me to join.
This particular group has me thinking a lot about travel families. I feel encouraged in the most positive ways. The two things I find humor in are exaggerated ridiculous life scenarios and comedy bits that folks overcommit to. If you need examples, look up Nate Bargatze’s stand-up comedy, watch the Thanksgiving episode of Master of None (the scene where Aziz is yelling across the table to the grandma or when he’s asking about the Instagram handle), or just talk to my friend Cooper (specifically over a campfire cooking smores).
This group of travelers seems to enjoy the same kind of humor, but; to a new extreme. Everybody loves to laugh and is feeding off of each other’s positive energy. There seems to be no shortage of ridiculous stories, great comedic timing, and brilliant storytelling skills. It’s something out of a movie. In my opinion, what really makes this group special is the number of folks who are quick to laugh and encourage the ridiculousness. It’s a dangerous combination when we’re in public settings and everyone seems to have the comedic maturity of a child (okay that one might just be me and I’m projecting). We can go from a serious conversation to a funny joke to an emotional moment in a matter of seconds and everyone comes out feeling heard and respected.
Thank you, Adam, Krish, Jess, Neil, Ailsa, Ritu, and everyone else at the HostelExp who made this a great experience. Coop, I wish you were here because I seriously think we would have lost our shit with you in the mix.