An Introvert Travel Guide For Surviving Vacation With An Extrovert
Traveling with friends can be fulfilling, even if you need lots of alone time. These tips will help you recharge your batteries
Traveling with an extrovert doesn’t mean sacrificing alone time.
Road tripping with a friend—someone who lends a fresh perspective to sightseeing, great conversation to mealtime and an eagerness to make memories together—sounds just about perfect. Or does it?
According to researcher and Psychology Today contributor Dan Buettner, as many as 50 percent of people identify as introverts, preferring to recharge through alone time and reflection. Travel for introverts, especially when taking a vacation with someone who prefers social stimulation, may sound more stressful than appealing. Thankfully, there are ways for people with different personality types to happily coexist. Read on for our introvert travel guide tips.
Invest in a good pair of noise-canceling headphones or some earplugs for when you need to shut out the noise of a car, airplane or bus. Let your travel companion know that when your headphones are on, you’re using that time to recharge. Politely ask them not to engage you in conversation until you take them off again. You can also bring an eye mask to give the impression that you’re sleeping—or to take an actual nap!
A full day of sightseeing is exhausting for even the most extreme extroverts, so suggest that you both take some time to relax each afternoon or evening. Declare the hour before dinner “quiet time,” when you take a break to individually read, journal or listen to music (using headphones, of course). This will leave you both refreshed for dinner and any other evening activities.
Not only are walking tours a great way to see a city, but they’re also ideal for introverts and extroverts. You can stand back, absorb the new information and take in the city, while your companion asks the guide questions or chats with other participants. Since nothing is required of you other than walking between locations, you’re free to choose your level of interaction with everyone else, including your travel buddy.
There’s been a surge of mindfulness and meditation apps over the last few years, and they’re perfect for when you need a quick getaway from your getaway. As long as you have a smartphone and earbuds, you can take time for yourself almost anywhere. The Mindfulness App offers sessions that are as short as three minutes. Other options include Headspace and Calm.
Whether you’re waking up early—or staying up late—to take a solo run or drop in a yoga class, getting some exercise is good for more than just your physical health. And there’s no way your friend can object to you wanting to work up an appetite for all those amazing vacation meals!
There’s no rule that says you and your travel companion have to spend every minute together. Pick a morning or afternoon when you’re each going to do some solo exploring and designate a meet-up time and place. This has the added bonus of giving you and your travel partner an opportunity to do an activity that the other might not be interested in. And it gives you both an interesting new topic to share once you do reunite.
Ready to travel? Book a hotel room (or maybe two).
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