Nomadic Love : Connection While on the Road

An interesting thing happens when you are traveling on your own. Unless you are a successful extrovert and can make friends easily and naturally, after about a week of solo travel you start to crave connection. At least, this was my experience as I trekked around the world back in early 2012. I would describe myself as an extrovert, but I have a hard time approaching strangers. On the road, that doesn’t matter; when you keep to yourself, eventually someone who doesn't will approach you. 

It takes very little time to open up to other travelers and establish a strong bond with them. You both realize that it is likely you will part ways in a few days -- weeks at most -- and you will likely never seem them again in your life. This makes you feel comfortable with sharing much more of yourself than you might even share with close friends at home. 

By accelerating the process of opening up, we develop strong connections with these strangers. The hard part is letting them go when it comes time to part ways. It hurts, just like letting someone you have known for months or years leave your life. The one benefit is that there are always more people to meet: new travelers arriving in your hostel, other groups out at night, or locals hanging out on a beach. 

It becomes routine to meet new people, open up to them, and then say goodbye. It is basically all solo travel is. The downfall of this is that after a while, it can start to become tiring. Saying goodbye like that over and over again can be a drain on your soul. And I think this is one of the big causes of “home sickness,” something we all deal with to varying degrees. 

I am not so sure I have a solution to this issue. By the end of my trip, I was so ready to be home and with friends that would not be fading away in the near future. However, I had fallen in love while I was in Thailand, and had made so many friends that I have probably forgotten more of them than I remember. I stayed connected with several people I met while traveling, but after a couple of years there is not much communication. 

I think the best advice I can give is that it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all, so much better! It may hurt to say goodbye, but I am a better person for having known all those people and would do it again in a heartbeat. This is the dichotomy of pain and pleasure, and while some people may prefer the stability of a stationary lifestyle, there is something to be said for the intensity of relationships that can be had while on the road.