Travel Friends you meet when traveling solo

The life of the solo diner table, these
women know how to travel!

A great side benefit of traveling solo, without a relative, a spouse or a best friend, is to meet travel ‘friends’. 

Travel friends are different than the friends you have at home, work friends or even casual friends.    They can be a 
local you meet while traveling as well as another traveler on your tour or plane or ship.

Speaking with strangers eliminates the limitations we can put on our conversations.  Perhaps because you do not expect to see them ever again, you loose any inhibitions.   The conversations between 'strangers' can often include topics never spoke about back home.
You often speak more frankly with travel friends, sharing hopes, problems or dreams.


The travel friends I like the best are other travelers I meet on my long ship trips and staff members who interact with passengers because they enjoy it NOT because it is policy.  With 7 or 14 days at sea there is time for chats and deep dialogues over dinner or drinks.   

Who have you met on your travel adventures?



Chef took the time to chat with me every day
on a long crossing......such great energy and
a wonderful attitude, I enjoyed our short exchanges

Craig taught computer skills to 'mature'
passengers without ever laughing when I asked
the same questions.....





My BEST TF, we met on an extended
crossing and Pat showed me how
you can have fun every day!  Hope to
see her when I get to OZ

A chance meeting at a museum in
Naples, we walked together
during the visit .

  

Tina has a concierge travel business in Naples
but you will want to become TA friends with her.
This was one of the best days I had in Italy, I
forgot I was there to do an interview for Home To
Italy, it was as if I was visiting an old friend.

    






New friends in Venice: Irma and Monica                         On my next trip Home to Italy we shall
have a cooking day with Ada.



AMAZING Norma!  We had tea together on the Queen Mary one afternoon.
I love a woman who will order one of everything!  oh yes we both did.
Norma is a painter and a teacher.  She taught a painting class during the cruise.
Such energy at 90!



Solo dining tables:   On  previous crossings I had never joined a solo table.   On this trip I was admonished to put on my 'friendly face' and join the table the first night to see what it was like. So it was a great pleasure to find myself seated at a table of totally diverse passengers on the east and west bound trip.  

As with any group there were some personality clashes.  Only 3 other passengers arrived the first night and two of them did NOT return the second night!  Was it something I said?  

But Holland America replaced the empty seats with a great group of travelers:  Norma (see above) the ship's painting instructor for several weeks, Horst who I did not realize spoke English and Ralph a well know musician who was performing during the sail.

My return trip was even more interesting but my new travel friends did not want to be written about.
You Never know who you will meet when traveling..

My newest TF who is a traveler full time!  
He promised to send me a list of diners in NJ I can explore.

People the Travel Warrior meets

One of the best parts of solo travel is meeting people are really talk with you.

not the obligatory chat from a wait staff or tourist office but a REAL chat.

Alice
The jewelry designer in Oslo     This was my first stop and of course I was anxious to start the blog a day program.   The heavy rain did not stop me from setting off for a 6 hour walk.
While I passed through the terminal where shops and tourist services were offered I noticed the lovely silver jewelry on display.     Alice was kind enough to chat with me and tell me that she makes the rings and many other pieces herself.   There was a very interesting chain design based on what the Vikings used to tie their ropes……I hope I have this correct.


Next stop was Deluca deli to try a typical bun offered to go with morning coffee.  Similar to a brioche with raisins or chocolate but not very sweet.
The delightful clerk told me politely I could not photograph the amazing selections of sandwiches but thanked me for asking first.   A short chat told me she hoped/planned to travel.
Rick Steve's tells you more about De Luca…..think of it as a upscale 7/11
My visit to the tourist office resulted in a quick chat with a cheery woman (this photo does not do her justice) who shared the information on where to find a waffle.  (see other stories)


Next day I stopped into a chemist (drug store) to see if they had the amazing over the counter tablets that stopped the flue in Italy last year.
The pharmacist worked with me directly and although he did not recognize the product I had, he looked up the contents (taking more than 15 minutes of his time) and found me a similar product on their shelf…..
Meanwhile I asked him countless questions about Norway that he happily answered.

At the next port I found Nina at the library.   A very pretty young woman (just I am a terrible photographer) who planned to visit New Orleans because she loved Jazz.
  We started to chat while there were no clients and she told me about the ‘white Christmas’.
Everything is white.  The trees are never artificial, the lights are always clear not colored.    I was very engrossed in our conversation but library clients needed to be served.   I hope we can continue our chat online.

Craig who will teach computer classes on the ship for the next 3 weeks.   He is my new best friend…….I hope to learn lots while traveling to the 7 countries this month.

Several others who will have mini stories are posted elsewhere……
All this returns to my theory that the people we meet can change US but do we ever have an effect on the them?????
what do you think?