Caring. I just love when I get to share my adventures with someone, especially someone I haven't adventured with before. A friend and I took off for a weekend of sun, sand and surf down on the Gulf Coast of Texas at Sea Rim State Park on a recent weekend, and I'd forgotten how different traveling with another human being is. I usually do my own thing and don't consult with anybody about my decisions, but when I travel with someone I have to take their wants and needs into consideration. I'm happy to say I choose to travel with people who I feel are similar to me, so we're usually on the same page regarding what we do and when we do it, but it's just different thinking about somebody else on my trips.
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| Roads through the marshes.. |
I do have to say, having a buddy sure makes tent set-up on a windy beach a thousand times easier! It's also a lot more fun to share an adventure with someone, from late night drives to midnight walks on the beach (where I tried to catch a crab but got pinched...ouch!), and waking each other up to catch the sunrise over the Gulf. Twice. Having a friend along makes mundane trips into town bearable, and makes pot-hole riddled dirt roads more fun, if that's even possible. And after bouncing around in the car for an hour, our reward of seeing (and hearing) wild hogs snorting and splashing in the marshlands is just the icing on the buddy-cake.
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| A large blue crab waits in shallow water over the road |
Beachcombing gets way more exciting when you can show off your finds, pointing out the swirls in this shell and the colors in that one. Little hermit crabs become things to squeek at, and you remind each other to not step on the ones that will pinch your toes. After a misguided and ill-fated canoeing attempt where you learn it is much more difficult to canoe against the wind than it is to paddle with it, you don't totally hate each other as you help cool yourselves down under a cold shower. Dinner becomes a lot easier when there are two to share it, and s'mores over a beach campfire become your favorite thing.
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| Campfire on the beach. Be jealous. |
Another midnight walk, passing out when your head hits the pillow, and gentle taps on the elbow to wake up and catch the sunrise wouldn't be so rewarding alone. And when you're walking in the surf but squeal and leap out of the water because you accidentally
did step on a crab that will pinch your toes, and your companion does the same exact thing a few minutes later, fright turns to laughter and you both decide without speaking that you're done walking in the water. On your way home, with the mere mention of donuts, you both agree that you need to stop and get your fix, whereas on your own you wouldn't have acted on the impusle and been deprived of that jelly-filled pastry perfection to end your trip.
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| If I lived near the coast I would never miss a sunrise |
Sure, I love traveling alone, and I have every intention to keep on doing so. I can't have somebody come with me every time I want to go somewhere; people have lives and things to do and I don't always have the patience to wait for them. When I do get the chance to take someone along on my adventures though, they make the trip that much better. So, who wants to to with me next time?
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| Sunrise and Ocean |
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