Travel Mate or Horror Companion

'It's easier to find a travelling companion than to get rid of one'

- Art Buchwald

Two might be one to many: Backpacking & Travelling Companion

Im selfish, I want to do what I want to do, I want to see things I want to see and if I have the opportunity to travel alone, I will travel alone. This first sentence sounds like I am one of these socially awkward people, an 'Einzelgänger' and impossible travel companion. But nothing could be further from the truth. I enjoy both, I love both and like to combine both. During my stay in Thailand, about a year ago, I travelled alone around this country and it was wonderful. After a couple of months in New Zealand with travellers and backpackers around me 24/7 it was just delightful to be on my own, to enjoy the silence, the beauty of my surroundings and living my life and only my life. I did notice the easiness of meeting travel buddies, travel companions or travel mates which seems, in my opinion, way less complex than when you are travelling with somebody already. It's like you send out a scent, a sign for people to detect, the indication of solitary. And suddenly you are not alone anymore, your solitude is over..... you find a travel bud.

Travel Companions, Travel Buddies and Travel Mates: Online and Offline

As I said before, I have the feeling that solo travellers send out a message to fellow travellers and suddenly contacts are way easier made than at home, than in every - day life. It might be the fact that all these people do the same thing, are in the same boat and therefore become 'friends', travel friends. For me this is a well known phenomenon as I have seen this happen many times before, but for many 'beginning' travellers and backpackers it is a nightmare to even consider travelling alone. It is therefore good to know we have something called the internet, a connecting people network where 'soon-to-become' travellers can find other backpackers and arrange trips and meet-ups months or weeks before departure. As I am searching for travellers that want to join my three exclusive and affordable bus tours in New Zealand I have found some good websites although one website developed itself as my favourite.

Find a Travel Companion: Find My Travel Mate

For me it was sad to see that many websites ask money for contacting fellow travellers. The sign up is for free, the searching as well but as soon as you find the perfect person to travel with these websites poor rain on your parade. Good to know that there is one website My Travel Mate that does not do this. This start-up makes it possible for you to create your trip, with all details included, and promote this trip on the My Travel Mate website. As I am searching for some 'travel buddies' I signed up, created a trip, added some pictures and tried out if this could work. And yes, it does. I am not one of these people that goes around to promote other websites, except my own, but My Travel Mate is something that makes me happy in a virtual world, with 100000 travel buddies websites and forums make it impossible for me to find one that has it all. My Travel Mate does this and therefore I would like to thank this website for making my life easier. And of course I recommend this platform to every traveller who wants to meet people, its easy, its fast and even better.... for free!!! 

Are you looking for somebody to travel with? Go Bacon and Eggs Tours for New Zealand and check My Travel Mate in any other case ;) 

Working in Auckland, New Zealand

'A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving' -  Lao Tzu 

I'm Back.

I'm back in New Zealand. I arrived four days ago and it feels like I've never been back to Europe.  Everything is still the same, only the temperature has gone up with about 20 degrees :) 

After some awesome days and nights (due to my friend called Jet lag) in Wellington I went back up to Auckland on Sunday to see and move in again with my amazing friends Kate and Menz, Bernie and Spalding. It's like I never left and the bullying started the minute I walked in, good to be home again and enjoy such a warm welcome :)

Although I wanted to leave my friend/foe called thesis at home, he somehow managed to slip into my backpack and follow me to the other side of the world....mmmm....Guess I have to deal with him here now, as well. He is kind of demanding and likes to take a lot of my time and energy but I can't keep avoiding him. I tried to leave him behind in China, as my backpack stayed there a little longer than I did but he managed to track me down anyway. 

Of course I did make some plans before I came here (I tried to) but did not manage to find a job that actually fits my thesis writing and researching schedule. Therefore, I am in Auckland, plan less, job less and broke :) Welcome to my world! I checked to regular websites and did apply for some jobs. My socialising helped as well and therefore, I hope to get a job soonish :) I'm a positive person and it will be all good in the end. 'What doesn't kill me makes me stronger!'. 

From now on I will be writing more on my blog again and keep you up to date about the second part of my awesome New Zealand journey :) But let's get a job first ;)