We all have that one friend that has been almost everywhere in the world (7% in reality, but it is more than you have seen). They are the one who has awe-inspiring experiences that makes you glad that they are your friend. Ever wonder why they are so endearing? Here are 12 reasons:
1. They are fearless.
It takes courage to take a leap of faith and step outside of your comfort zone. They are not afraid of picking out a few phrases each day and trying them out. They aren’t afraid of trying new foods and making new friends.
2. They have an open mind.
They are open-minded when it comes to understanding why people are the way they are. They do not turn up their nose at different countries and their traditions. Instead, they embrace it and are fascinated when learning about traditions that are passed throughout the generations.
They see it as something special and will want to take the traditions back home with them.
3. They are spontaneous.
They are usually the friends you go to when you want to have a great time. They are the ones who live in the moment do it enthusiastically. There is never a boring moment when hanging out with them.
4. They will always have great food suggestions (no matter what you’re in the mood for).
It doesn’t matter if you are in the mood for Chinese, Filipino, Mexican, Indian or any type of food at all. They will likely have a suggestion and an excellent one at that. They know you and they already know what the food tastes like, so more than likely they will pair you with a meal that will become an all time favorite!
5. They have excellent stories.
There are nights where you can just sit in a pub and listen to the hilarious stories they have about meeting different people around the world. They tell them with such passion, you can’t help but listen. They will tell the story and you can almost see yourself standing there in the city center of Brussels enjoying a chocolate truffle and a cappuccino.
6. They are great listeners.
In return, they are great listeners because they have to be. Being in a different state, country or continent, they need to listen actively. They have to pay attention when someone gives them directions about either the local culture or when they are being told about the landmarks.
They are always there to swap stories with you, as opposed to only talking about their own travels and adventures.
7. They have confidence in themselves.
They have confidence because they need to have it. If they didn’t have it at first, they faked it until it became authentic. They realized that trying to speak another language does not get you anywhere unless you speak up and say it with confidence.
More than likely, they have been corrected many times and are now proud that they can get it right. They walk with confidence because they have more experience than the majority of people out there. Why? Because they took the steps to make it happen. Traveling is not just for the rich and they are living proof of that.
8. They will send back cool postcards and souvenirs.
When they travel, they will always find something cool to send back to their friends. They send you postcards and trinkets to keep. And maybe if they love you enough, you will get one specially post marked from the post office in a place like Vatican City.
9. They appreciate the little things.
In this day and age, it is pretty hard to impress people. Those who travel are great because they see beauty and appreciate the little things in life. They appreciate a sunset because not all sunsets look the same.
They have experienced getting their breath taken away from architecture and they love the feeling. They have sat and slowly enjoyed cups of coffee on early morning strolls through the streets of Seattle.
10. They are okay with not having a plan.
They can tell you of countless times they were lost looking for a landmark and stumbled into a hole in the wall place that served the best tacos. They can tell you they have walked in circles around Brussels city center because their GPS was looking for the English translation of a particular street, as all of the streets are in French.
It doesn’t matter to them at all because they are okay with not having a plan. They believe it leads to great stories to tell down the road.
11. They have a great attitude.
No matter what, they have a great attitude about life. People that travel have problems of their own. After all, they aren’t robots without feelings. The only difference is that they don’t let their problems consume their life. They have seen a little bit of the world and realize things can always be much worse.
12. They will inspire you.
They inspire you to be more positive in life and to have hope. The more you hang out with them, the more you develop your own wanderlust. They inspire you to get out there and embrace the world as it is.
Featured photo credit: Travel Plans/ Connor Bleakley via flickr.com
