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Hit The Road
Joy Uyeno
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Branch out, meet others while abroad
As someone who has grown up in Hawaii, one of the strangest things about travel is the lack of familiar faces. Here, I can barely leave my house without seeing someone I know. Whether it's a family member, friends, acquaintances or friends of friends, it seems that there is always someone to talk story with.
If your computer breaks down, you need help moving or you are stranded on the side of the Pali at 3 a.m., help is always a phone call and a (short) drive away.
An abundance of connections in Hawaii can make the thought of living in another state or country seem like a lonely adventure. However, as lonely as you might be the first few days, the friends that you find along the way will probably turn out to be the ones you become closest to.
Without the protective padding of your regular support system, you are totally independent, completely vulnerable and free to truly be yourself -- or whoever else you want to be. Study-abroad programs are fantastic for new travelers as students are given the chance to travel abroad with a built-in network.
Whether you want to be friends with the people in your study-abroad group is another story altogether, but keep in mind that however strange you find your co-travelers to be, you are probably sharing in the same mixed emotions. Focusing on your similarities instead of the things that set you apart will make things easier.
SAYING THAT, it is also important to branch out and meet people who are not traveling with your group.
Being enthusiastic about participating in the day-to-day life of the community means stepping away from tourist traps and delving into the richer culture of the locals. Ask locals for recommendations on restaurants, say yes to dance invitations, talk to the man at the sandwich shop -- you never know where you might make a friend. One of the most magical parts of traveling, for me, has been the opportunity to meet people on the other side of the planet who are willing to share their lives with me.
Even though we have grown up in different environments and cultures, and even if our beliefs are completely different, I will keep in touch with many of these people for the rest of my life. All of them represent friendships that I will cherish forever.
Joy Uyeno travels frequently throughout the year, and her column, geared toward beginning travelers or youths experiencing their first extended stay abroad, appears the second Sunday each month in the Star-Bulletin Travel section.
Joy Uyeno travels frequently throughout the year, and her column geared toward beginning travelers or youths experiencing their first extended stay abroad appears the second Sunday each month in the Star-Bulletin Travel section.