The Joys of Traveling with a Partner in Crime

Matias: You know, traveling has always been my thing. There’s something about the silence of new places, the smell of unfamiliar food, and the quiet moments you share with yourself that really gets me going. But when I met Ryan in those Scottish Highlands years ago, everything changed. Ryan: That’s right! Matias here was this quiet, brooding Finn who looked like he’d rather stare at a tree than talk to me at first. But after a few beers and some terrible dad jokes from him later, I knew we were gonna get along just fine. Matias: Anyway, the point is that traveling with Ryan added this whole new layer to my experiences. Suddenly, the quiet moments weren’t so quiet anymore – but in a good way. We’d sit on some hill watching the sunset, and Ryan would start cracking jokes or asking questions about Finland that no one had ever asked me before.

Ryan: Traveling alone is cool and all, but having Matias along has been a game-changer for me too. The guy notices things I’d never see on my own – little details about architecture or local customs that just blow my mind sometimes. Plus, he’s got this calm energy that helps balance out my constant chatter and occasional panic attacks when we get lost in some back alley somewhere. Matias: And let’s be honest here; it’s nice to have someone around when your phone battery dies… again. My Nokia isn’t exactly GPS-friendly, you know? But beyond all the practical stuff, meeting new people together has been amazing too.

Matias: There was this time in Japan where we stumbled into this tiny bar hidden down an alleyway in Tokyo. Ryan started chatting up the bartender in broken Japanese while I just sat there smiling awkwardly as usual. Next thing we knew, we’re drinking sake with these two locals who took us under their wing for the whole night – showing us secret spots in Shibuya and teaching us how to properly eat ramen without making total fools of ourselves. Ryan: Or remember that hostel kitchen disaster? We tried baking Finnish pulla bread together using Google Translate… let’s just say it didn’t end well for our stomachs or their oven! But even through all those mishaps and language barriers, meeting people as a duo makes everything more fun.