By Lauren Juliff
Student Travel Expert, about.com
Friendships move at warp speed on the road. You'll meet someone in a hostel, spend an entire day with them, and talk about so much you'll feel like you know them more than your closest friend. But like gaining a friend in a day, you can also lose them just as fast. What happens if the person you're traveling with suddenly seems like the most annoying person in the world?
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Try to Find Out How They Feel
The
best way to resolve the situation without any hurt feelings is if your
friend is feeling the same as you. It could just be that you're not well
suited as travel companions.
Try to sound out how they're feeling about traveling together -- maybe
by hinting that you're struggling with not having your own space to see
if they agree and tell you their true feelings.
If it turns out they are also not enjoying traveling together, you can come to a solution together. Solo travel
will probably be the best resolution, but it could just be arranging to
spend some time apart every morning so you can do your own things.
[post_ads]Tell Them You're an Introvert
Thanks
to a plethora of articles on what it's like to be an introvert that
have been published online over the past few years, most people are
aware of what it's like to be an introvert,
and that it means you replenish your energy from being alone. If you're
in desperate need of space, but don't want to hurt your friend's
feelings, tell them you're an introvert.
If you explain you're
feeling drained and needing some alone time to recover your energy
levels, they'll likely be more than accommodating. You'll get some time
away from them and won't hurt their feelings -- win, win!
Change Your Travel Plans
If
your travel friend is someone you met on the road and not someone from
home you've planned an entire trip with, you'll have a far easier time
at breaking away from them. One easy way to do this is to change your
travel plans. Tell them you want to spend longer in a place, or that
you're not feeling a certain place and want to move on and you'll be
good to go (or stay).
What happens if your friend decides to change your plans to stick with you? On to the next point!
Have a Frank Conversation With Them
Let's
face it: the first few points have been about making things up to get
out of a situation, which might have something to do with the fact I'm
British and hate confrontation. But honestly, if you're struggling to travel with someone, you should sit down with them and tell them what the problem is.
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Maybe
it really is that you're an introvert. Maybe you feel like they're
taking you to things you don't want to see. Maybe you've realised you
don't mesh well together and you like different things. Whatever the
reason, your friend will respect that you've been honest.
