[One Idea Monday] The danger of “social comfort zone” in traveling

Akwaaba friends,

I just got back from my vacation in Florida and North Carolina, loads of inspiration to share with you over the next few weeks!

💡 1 Idea - The danger of “social comfort zone” in traveling

It’s easy to fall into our “social comfort zone” when we travel in a group.

We all have a natural tendency to only have conversations with the people we travel with. We resist talking to strangers (locals and other tourists). Because we’re afraid that by doing so, we’re taking valuable time away from the group.

This is a terrible mistake because when you talk to a stranger, you’re NOT taking quality time away from the group’s interaction. You’re actually making it richer (in the future) with new information, stories, or even friends.

This has happened so many times to me and my friends:

• In Can Tho, a vet who sat next to us in a restaurant paid for our meal, just because I asked him how to eat a dish.

• In Lisbon, a family drove me to the bus station at midnight, just in time for my departure, simply because I asked for directions and looked lost.

• In Portland, our Uber drivers saved the trip for us by recommending many hidden gems even Google doesn’t know about.

with the man who sponsored our Bún bò Huế cây xăng in Cần Thơ

Sometimes, all it takes is an honest question to build a connection.

If we ever travel for more than 2 days together, I hope that you take the time to talk to some locals, even if that means leaving me alone for 30 minutes.

A healthy trip is very similar to a healthy relationship, which has a balance of “time with each other” and “time without”. No matter how much you love the person, you need to have your own life, even for a little bit.

Traveling in a group, or being in a relationship,
doesn’t mean you have to be together all the time.

Get out of the zone!

Disclaimer: If you got out of the zone and crashed into a boring conversation, don’t be afraid to exit after 3 minutes. To do so is to respect both your time and the other party’s. No one benefits from a conversation in which only 1 side is interested in learning.

💬 1 Quote

Writing this piece after a long break was incredibly challenging, so I’d like to share this quote by Rafael Nadal on the payoffs of trying even when it sucks.

If you make an effort in training when you don’t especially feel like making it, the payoff is that you will win games when you are not feeling your best. ~ Rafael Nadal

❓ 1 Poll/ Question

What makes a good traveling partner?

👇 Tell me in the comments or by replying to this email!