For two and a half years I travelled around the world, from South East Asia, to India and Sri Lanka, and lastly to Europe. Along the way I learnt a thing or two about meeting girls and romance on the road.
And although I’m definitely not an expert on matters of the heart, I have had my fair share of experiences that have since crystallised into tiny nuggets of travelling wisdom that I’m prepared to share with you.
So without further ado fellas, here are five things I learnt about romance on the road.
1. Tinder is your friend
Tinder is the ultimate “here for a good time, not a long time” tool that will help you meet women from all over the world. And as a dude travelling overseas, you have the perfect excuse for being on the social dating app: after all, you’re new in town and don’t know a soul!
Yes, it’s totally superficial, and yes, there’s some risk involved that you two just won’t click in real life. But meeting women you vibe with (and them with you) is really just a numbers game, and if you play Tinder long enough, sooner or later you may just find a girl you’re genuinely interested in.
2. Tours and hostels are awesome too
If you prefer meeting women face-to-face to see if you have any real-life chemistry, then signing up for tours and staying in hostels is perfect. The vast majority of people who stay in hostels are looking to meet new people, so there is more social license to say hello first and initiate conversation with that cute girl playing on her iPhone.
Free walking tours are especially awesome as they are held in pretty much every major city around the world, only last for an hour or two, and you have the opportunity to meet as many girls as you want in the group. If you don’t find a girl you click with in the group, you can literally walk away without any of that awkwardness that comes with meeting someone off Tinder only to find out that you really don’t click in person.
3. Dating on the road is at best a fling
Although it’s easy to fall for someone on your trip overseas, it’s important that you both realise that your “love affair” is only a fling at best. And as with all flings, it will end sooner or later.
Ninety-nine percent of the time, you’ll both be on totally different itineraries, either heading to different destinations or home, and whatever romance you’ve nurtured since day one will ultimately fade away, only to be replaced by a happy memory in the far recesses of your mind.
Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it while it lasts. And who knows, you may just be part of that lucky one percent. But definitely don’t bet on it ending that way, and make sure both you and the girl realise that what you are sharing is something short and sweet.
4. Travelling with a girl can be way too intense
Meeting a girl on the road and then travelling with her is definitely way more intense than meeting a girl at the local pub.
On the road, you’ll be with each other 24/7, seven days a week, for weeks, months or possibly years on end. But back home in real life, there’s just no way your blossoming relationship will have you spending this much time with each other. Indeed, between school/work, family and friends, the amount of time you’d spend with a girl you’re dating back home isn’t going to be half that what you’ll spend with her whilst on the road.
This means that your relationship is going to get pretty deep and intense from day one, and you’ll quickly learn everything you like and don’t like about her much sooner than back at home.
It will also mean that you need to consciously decide to spend time alone every now and then, as a 24/7 relationship is just way too intense to be sustainable without getting under each other’s skin. Trust me: I know!
5. Travelling romances are totally educational
Last but certainly not least, meeting girls from different parts of the world will teach you things about their culture that you just won’t be able to learn from a guidebook or without spending a pretty lengthy amount of time in that country.
You’ll get to check out the bars, clubs and restaurants that real locals frequent, instead of those well-trodden tourist haunts. And you’ll get to learn what life is really like for the locals in that part of the world.
Consider it one of the best “cultural exchanges” you’ll ever have, coupled with a pretty face and a smile at the other end.