The Best part of traveling is sharing experiences with others
Today is National Mud Pack Day – I bet you didn’t know that tidbit. When I saw that, it made me think of one of my favorite moments traveling, and I thought I would share why group travel is such a great way to see the world.
The Best part of traveling is sharing experiences with others
Last week I came across this calendar with all the weird holidays, like National Olive Day, National Hug Your Cat Day, National Umbrella Day. I saw that today is National Mud Pack Day and knew immediately what I would write about today.
One of my favorite travel moments immediately jumped into my mind, and it was a few years ago when our group touring the Holy Land visited the Dead Sea. The lake’s high concentration of minerals are believed to be highly therapeutic to the skin, so one of the cool things to do when visiting the Dead Sea is to cover yourself in the mud and then later wash off with the salty water. I arranged to have a barrel of mud for our group, and everyone had a blast covering themselves in the mud – and we took a fun picture to commemorate the event.
That is one reason I love group travel and specialize in it – it’s so fulfilling to bring people together and create unforgettable moments to share while traveling.
I love the way traveling creates new friendships. On some of my groups like my alumni trips, people who don’t know each other but have a common interest come together to travel, and very quickly, bonds are created. Meeting different individuals, making memories with them during the trip is a unique experience. Folks develop relationships that last long after the trip and end up meeting up locally or traveling together on other trips.
The moments of fun and shared adventures make traveling together so enjoyable and challenge us to try new things. Traveling alone or as a couple wouldn’t cause me to get up and participate in some on-stage demonstration of local culture, but when it’s our whole group together, that’s another story. On our trip to Quebec, one morning, we had a fabulous breakfast with the most delicious tasting maple syrup, and then we all joined in with some traditional dancing in the sugar shack.
Besides trying new things in general, I will also say that traveling together seems to increase our courage. When traveling in Petra Jordan and seeing all the folks riding camels, it’s so intriguing, and it was definitely on my bucket list. But getting up close and personal with those camels is a whole other situation. It would be easy to chicken out, but when you have other travel companions trying it out and encouraging you, it helps get over the scary feelings and to jump into the opportunity of the occasion.
Having companions for shared meals creates a fun and dynamic dinner experience. It’s so enjoyable to gather to talk about the activities of the day, and trade thoughts and ideas about the places visited. And of course, the venues of the meals are often select locations too – like Italian vineyards, cliffside restaurants overlooking the sea, a tented restaurant in Bethlehem, or alfresco dining on a European street.
Right now, I am missing all the group trips that were planned for this year – cruising the Danube River, Italy, a Northern Europe cruise, and multiple trips to Ireland. But remembering all the fun from previous travels brings a smile to my face, and planning future trips becomes even more precious. Sharing the travel experience brings people together in joy and friendship, and I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of that.