Whenever my sister and I begin to think about doing major traveling , the first thing we try to figure out is where and when we want to travel. However, deciding on who we want to travel with ultimately outweighs where exactly we decide to go.

Through life’s experiences, we have learned the hard way that every friend is not for everywhere and everything. Some friends make wonderful travel buddies and some friends work better at a local bar with to grab drinks for happy hour. Knowing the difference between those two types of friends before you try to take an international trip  with them,  will save you a lot of unnecessary stress.

When in the process of drafting your starting line up for an for the upcoming trip you are planning for….

If you are not sure how to decipher  how match-able  you are with your different types of friends, try to take small trips within the country with the friends you are interested in traveling with . If the trip is a disaster then chances are, taking them out of the country with you will probably be an epic fail too.

If you don’t have the money to test your match-ability with your friends , because you are on a budget  or you are currently saving up for your big international trip….

Try to do small things like going to local overnight events with them like #AfroPunk.  You will still be able to get a good glimpse into their

I-feel-like-I’m-out-of-town character LOL.

REMEMBER…

When picking friends to travel with you, you should use the same mind set you use when packing for a trip . Try not to  take extra personal baggage with you when you travel; such as drama filled friends. Just as much as you try to make sure you don’t over pack and go over the weight limit when packing for traveling,  because you will end up paying the price for the extra weight sooner or later.

Try to pack light…

Travel with people who have the same interests as you; people who feel familiar to you. Travel with people who have most of the same morals and values as you. This way you and create an environment on vacation that feels natural. You don’t want to be on vacation and feel like you are carrying dead weight around with you to the new places you are trying to explore. If you follow these guidelines, you will be pleased when you finally get your destination because  you won’t be socially forced to go to the strip club, when you came to the country to visit museums LOL.

Disclaimer…

If you do  choose to follow our advice, you may have a few friends that will be upset at you for not inviting them along.

But a part of growth is realizing you have the right to choose who you want in your space especially during times of leisure . Your happiness is your obligation and no one else’s, so choose who you wish to share your light with wisely.

Relax & ….

Pack Light!