By: Maria Climent Huguet
Maria Climent is a 26-year-old Catalan lady. After studying translation, she decided her life was odd enough to became a humor scriptwriter and by default, a blogger. This is how she’s now a mother of no one and a better person. She also likes to cook!

The importance of meeting people during your travels

We are social animals. That’s an absolute truth. We need other people to survive. Studies prove that without human touch during the firsts months of life we die (see Harry Harlow’s experiments, for example) and, indeed, as we grow up our need for touch does not diminish.

The reason I’m bringing this up, is that most travellers travel the world by themselves and although they eventually meet people, this situation may put them into lonely situations.

How many times have you been on your own somewhere wishing you had a friend by your side to tell him or her what you’re thinking about?

I remember when I first arrived at one of the apartments in Madrid. I was completely alone without knowing anyone or anything about the city. Whenever something amazing happened to me, I had no one to share it with. Sharing your thoughts and feelings over a social network – though, I am fond of the amazing possibilities they provide – is not the same as a face-to-face conversation with a friend. During direct interaction, all our senses come into play.

Because of the importance of direct contact with others, I’m going to come back to the main issue. In the moments when lonely travellers need a “friend”, they would have to meet them somehow on their way. There are travellers who have no trouble meeting new people, who are open and talkative right from the start. It’s almost in their instincts to meet people, but there are others who don’t have this talent and social personality. Either way, I am going to give you some tips to make friends –and not just meeting people- wherever you go:

I bet that, in the case of going to Madrid, you’d go to a youth hostel rather than any other kind of Madrid accommodation. And there, once surrounded by new people the first thing to do is to feel the place out. Check out what kind of people there are: Party travellers? Couples? Individual travellers like you?

The second thing to do is recognize your “friend” before he or she knows it. This sounds weird but it’s very easy: You just need to observe them. Who is the one smiling the most? Who’s dressed the way you would dress like? Find the other ‘travel you’.

You’ll know when you have found this person who’ll become your friend and best travel companion during the time you coincide in space and time when your looks cross and you both smile. It’s that easy. And, surely this is not only applicable to youth hostels and travelling, but to every day life. Remember, your future best friend could be right in front of you!