WHY GOING ON HOLIDAY WITH A STRANGER IS A GREAT IDEA

If you do a little survey in the Netherlands, I think most people go on holiday with their partner. Or family. Or best friend. Or of course alone. But have you ever thought about what it would be like to go with a group of strangers?

To be honest: I have never bought a ticket to the middle of nowhere to go on holiday with a group of strangers, but as a travel editor, I do travel regularly for Amayzine and almost always it is with journalists I didn't know before. Total strangers. And every time I come home rolling in with my suitcase, I think: wow, that was amazing. And I'm not just talking about the destination, but also about the new people I've met. So it was time for the argument ‘Go out with strangers’. What are the benefits?

You won't run out of things to talk about

How nice is it to be surrounded by new personalities every now and then to share life stories? You already know your friends' stories. That's what I love about meeting new people: you won't run out of things to talk about. Literally everything is still open for discussion.

No make-up needed

Let's talk about looks for a moment. Strangers have no idea how glamorous you might look in your daily life. So if you don't feel like wearing make-up, heels, but want to wear a big comfy sweater? That's all good! Party on. And definitely keep doing that with your friends too.

You gain new insights

Why you gain new insights from traveling, I wrote about recently here already (you behave more freely, experience fewer inhibitions, and make contact more easily). But of course, you also gain different insights from new personalities. Perhaps with a completely different perspective on life, which helps you learn new things as well.

You will appreciate your own friends more

Suppose (I certainly don't assume this), if it were to become a total embarrassment, you still have your old familiar spot at home with your dearest friends. In short: there are only bonds to gain and none to lose. Which brings me to the next point.

You can form new friendships that you didn't expect

Research shows that as you get older, it becomes harder to create new friendships. And what better way to do that than while traveling, building new memories together?

Stepping out of your comfort zone is always a good idea

Sometimes I find it downright terrifying to step outside my comfort zone. Yet over the past few years, I've been able to do quite a few cool things: situations where I felt a panic attack rush just at the thought of it. And yet: I survived. Not only that, in hindsight, they might have been the coolest moments of my life. Check this maar even.