Part of the charm of travel is the prospect of meeting new people and striking a chord with them. Your co-traveler may be an independent uptown girl, or you may be traveling with a family whose four wild kids drive you insane throughout your journey. You might also be compelled to be an uneasy spectator to the public displays of affection of a newly wed couple. The universe of possibilities is endless.
A seemingly mundane trip can become a journey you will cherish for the rest of your life, all thanks to the people you have met on your travel. Remember Zach Galifianakis in the movie ‘Due Date’ and how he changed our hero’s perspective on life and people by the end of the journey?
The possibilities of romance that a journey can bring, are fathomless, for a single guy. Even if romance is not on the cards, a journey with an interesting fellow traveler can find a place in your memoirs, or may lead to a lifelong bond of friendship.
Here is a list of 8 types of women you can meet while traveling who might just change the way you see the world.
1. The Bookworm
She sits silently near the window, if she is traveling alone, or next to her mother or sibling if she is traveling with her family. And, always, she has a book in her hand. She might have earphones plugged into her ears too. But more often than not, it is for appearances. Her real interest lies in the book. You can recognize a true bookworm by the efforts she will make to keep reading, cramped into all sorts of uncomfortable positions and poring over the pages of her book late into the night, giving up the comfort of a good rest or some refreshing chit chat, just because she has to read until the end, if possible before the journey gets over. The only times she takes a break from her book is when she glances up occasionally to look at the sights that fleet by her window.
Best Spotted in: Trains, buses and airplanes.
Why you will love her: She lives in a world of her own, full of stories of the lands she has read about in her books. Beneath her stoic veneer is a die hard romantic, raring to be let out. Try getting her out of her shell, and you will be awestruck by the beauty of her world, provided you are allowed an entry.
The catch: She might keep her nose buried in her book throughout the journey, and you may never have the opportunity to initiate a conversation.
2. The Social Media Whiz
She has accounts on twitter, Facebook, Quora, Tripadvisor, and a zillion other social networking sites. She has written 350 restaurant reviews on Zomato and is in tune with everything that is ‘trending’. She clicks pictures and posts them to her Facebook page within seconds. Her life revolves around her smart phone. A poster child of social media community, she glides in and out of her social media presence so effortlessly that she seems the epitome of the all-pervasiveness of social media.
On a journey you will either see her ‘networking’ with her friends, family and colleagues over voice calls or nimbly working away at her phone. The social media whiz can be distinguished from her clumsier look-alike by her active interest in documenting everything that goes on around her.
Best Spotted in: Everywhere-trains, buses, eateries, tourist attractions.
Why You will Love her: If nothing else, she can give you a class in social media skills. Also, a social media aficionado who doubles up as a travel-lover, is a sheer delight to hang out with since she will have real-time updates on all the places of interest she has visited, and will be more than willing to share her knowledge with you.
The Catch: You might start feeling a little archaic if you are not someone who ‘hangs out’ in social media circles.
3. The Clueless greenhorn
She looks about bovinely, seemingly a being from a different world. She is clueless and slow to answer general queries. She keeps looking at the phone waiting for a call from her overprotective mother or worried boyfriend. She gets very distressed, if the phone cannot catch a signal, as being unable to make a call opens up possibilities of danger from fellow travelers. She keeps asking the ticket checker what time the train is scheduled to arrive.
Best Spotted in: Trains, long distance buses
Why You will Love her: She seems naive and uninteresting to begin with. But talk her through her beginner’s fears and you will discover the milieu from where she comes. If you have the patience to look through her lens, you will see this journey for what it really is-a journey that transcends beyond physical transportation, to become a journey of psychological liberation from sociocultural fetters. This journey might mark the beginning of a new epoch in her life, and you have the golden chance to play a defining role in it.
The Catch: She will take time to repose enough faith in you. Chances are, either the journey or your patience, may come to an end by the time she makes up her mind about befriending you.
4. The Fashionista
You will catch her peering at herself in the mirror from time to time, or stealing glances at her well manicured toenails. And, if, heaven forbid, one of her nails has some polish off, she will fiddle with it until you wished you could apply some for her, just to stop her from fidgeting. Every object becomes a beauty tool in her hands. She will use her shining phone case to look at her image, her purse may be used to straighten the lock of hair that has strayed to her face.
Best Spotted in: Everywhere-trains, airplanes, restaurants, tourist attractions.
Why you will love her: She looks perfect, everywhere and every time. And, she has perfected the art of running in those stilettos. She will add beauty to your tour group, without much inconvenience. And most importantly, since her narcissistic passion is all consuming, you can easily slide the biggest food portions to your plate or get yourself in the seat with the best view, and she will hardly notice.
The Catch: When aboard the river cruise, she may prefer to lounge in the bar rather than share the panoramic view of the sky alongside you.
5. The professional photographer
This lady can be seen traveling in loose fitting cotton clothes, ideal for travel on rough roads. She carries around a cumbersome dark-hued bag that is the cause of much speculation among her co-passengers until she brings out a huge bulky camera, and a trillion other professional equipment. She divides her time between diligently editing her previous captures and staring into blankness, as she works out the technical details of her next professional shoot in her head. More often than not, she can be seen traveling with a male of lesser stature to help her with the laborious task of carrying around and fixing her paraphernalia.
Best Spotted in: Fixing tripods in locations of photographers’ interest, and in trains.
Why You will Love her: Her baggy clothes, confident gait and hipster looks form an enviable style statement. She will have information on the cheapest travel routes and hostel-stays. She can tell you all about the hours when a monument is at its most beautiful or a street at its quietest. Plus, you get to see some amazing photographs.
The Catch: Your amateurish travel saga might not spike her interest enough.
6. The woman of many cultures
This woman is well traveled and is now a walking-encyclopedia of culture, history and mythology of various places, which she has been to and lived in. Chances are, she will impress you with a display of her language skills as she picks up a conversation with the waiter at the table, as if she has known him all her life. Having made trips to various places, this lady is of an amicable disposition and very easy to strike up a conversation with. She will regale you with stories of the quaint towns she has been to and idiosyncrasies of people she has had the chance to live with.
Best Spotted in: Any kind of journey, and happy hours in hotels.
Why You will Love her: She is a gregarious conversationalist. Before you know, she will have you talking about your life, your job and your country. She has made friends in different countries and keeps in touch with them through e-mails and her travel blog. She is grounded with commitments to family and society, and you will love her for the perspective she will bring to your travel group.
The Catch: Being a veteran in the field of travel, she likes to frequent places that give her a taste of local culture. So, if you are someone who would like to limit travel to monuments and beaches, she may not be the right co-traveler for you.
7. The adventure girl
This one girl has been there, done that. She has gone paragliding, seen the coral reefs while scuba diving, taken rides on the scariest roller coasters, dirt biked on sand dunes, and hit the fifth shot of tequila without batting an eyelid. She does not stick to one travel partner, but is open to traveling alone or in large groups, given the promise of newer activities to set her adrenaline rushing.
Best Spotted in: Adventure Sports locations, clubs
Why You will Love Her: You will love to travel with her if you are looking for a partner who is a step ahead of you in ‘crazy’. And, if you are a free bird, a wanderer, she might be the best person to join you. Even if you do not care much for joining her in a topsy-turvy adventure, you can always be the enraptured listener to the tales recounted by this fearless girl who pays courtship to peril.
The Catch: It might be over too soon.
Your definition of ‘adventure’ might be a bedtime story for her.
8. The Girl next door
Like a family movie, the girl next door is the safest bet, with a little of everything in her. She loves to be adventurous, but with her safety belt in place. She loves to learn about different countries, but will be happy if the list does not extend beyond a few popular attractions. She has friends on social media too, but she also loves coffee-shop encounters that happen in real space. She reads the latest popular novels, but is only too happy to keep her book away for a lively chat. And, above all, she fits right in.
Best Spotted in: Trains, buses and everywhere
Why You Will Love Her: She awaits her turn to talk, tables her opinion with restraint, is definitely not choosy about which item to check next on her itinerary. Above all, she is trusting, helpful and a joy to get along with.
The Catch: If you are seeking a travel-partner who can reinforce your passion for travel and adventure, she may not be the right one.
Image credit : Matt E, Ingela Hjulfors Berg, Alyssa L. Miller, Jena Adder, Pedro Ribeiro Simões, Consensual Media