3.01.2010

Why I Travel: To Visit Friends

From Last Night in London


I don't need much of an excuse to travel somewhere, but my favorite is to visit friends. Taking full advantage of this excuse, the past few years have taken me to:

Boston (cousin Molly)
London (Megan & Jon)
LA (J-Dub)
St. Lucia (Meg & Jon again)
Denver (Sarah)
Brussels (Simon)
Lima (Laura & Gino)
London again (several friends)
Sydney (Meg & Jon...again)

From Brussels


Having friends scattered about this planet is convenient for someone with my sense of wanderlust. And crashing on couches is by far my favorite method of visiting a new city. I love that it mixes the freedom of solo travel with the structure of a working professional and the invaluable insights of a local. When I visit friends, I enjoy doing my own thing during the day, but relish the social company of a companion in the evening. Plus, you can't beat the price: a place to crash in exchange for salsa/Reese's peanut butter cups/Girl Scout Cookies/whatever favorite American/Southwestern treat my host requests.

From London in a Weekend


In 11 days I leave for my next friend-inspired destination: NYC to visit Sarah, Joel and hopefully a half-dozen other friends who will meet me somewhere in the Big Apple for happy hour. I can't wait to do a little adventuring mixed with catching up on each others' lives, swapping stories, and experiencing someplace new with old friends. Doesn't get much better.

From London in a Weekend