Meeting People While Traveling
Traveling around the United States in your camper is an amazing way to spend a week, a month or even an entire summer, if you’re so inclined! If you love spending time in your recreational vehicle, you probably hit the road every chance you get. In fact, some people opt to ditch their apartments and houses entirely and live full-time in their rigs! There are many great reasons why you’d want to do this, but there are some drawbacks as well.
One issue people often have when they’re on the road a lot is feeling lonely or isolated over time. When you’re a thousand miles away from friends and family, you may start to long for company, even if you’ve got traveling companions. Fortunately, though, you can always make new friends anywhere you go! Don’t believe us? Read these tips for making friends on the road by your friends here at Howdy Ranch RV, serving Mathis, Texas. The ability to connect with people while traveling is one that must be honed, but you’ll be a pro at striking up friendships in no time!
Invite Conversation
Do away with the typical small talk that is the fodder of anodyne cocktail parties everywhere. Try something a little different to start up a conversation instead! If you see someone reading a book by your favorite author, ask them how they like it (if they seem open to talking). Start chatting with someone as you’re doing laundry about their excellent fashion sense if you like their clothing. If someone’s wearing a shirt featuring a beloved movie, comic book or band, ask them about how they got into it. The conversations generated by these activities will feel much more natural.
Get Out Of Your Camper
If you spend all your free time inside your RV, you’re going to have a difficult time meeting anyone at a campsite. You’ll have to spend time outside of your rig in order to meet anybody! Need some ideas? Try one or more of the following suggestions!
Have some drinks? Offer passersby a hot cup of coffee or a cold soda. You could set up a sign on a table offering free drinks and snacks.
Got a dog? Walk Fido around and talk to everyone who stops to fawn over him. Own a bird instead? Park Polly on your shoulder and stroll around, then!
Partake in an interesting hobby? Take your knitting, sketchbook, collage materials or embroidery to the rec center and someone’s sure to stop by to discuss your project with you and talk about their own hobby.
Love games? Set up Scrabble, a chess set, a deck of cards or even a jigsaw puzzle on a fold-out card table under your awning and see if anyone might want to play.
Check Social Media
Everyone’s got a smartphone these days and these handy devices are especially convenient for those who are always on the go. If you search online, you’re bound to find local and national groups of RV travelers, with forums and meet-up opportunities. Other networks, like Instagram and Twitter, have searchable hashtags that will allow you to interact with people who’ve stayed in the same places or visited the same attractions that you have. Send a message or leave a comment and see if you can get a response!
Maintain Momentum
Once you’ve made a friend, you’ll want to stay in touch however you can. While you’re still in the same place, you can share itineraries to see if your paths will cross again and make a plan to meet up in the future. Invite them over for meals or go on a hike together! Creating memories is a perfect way to build a friendship.
When it’s time to part, make sure that you have each other’s phone numbers, email addresses or are following each other’s social media accounts. You can even exchange P.O. boxes so you can send each other postcards of your respective travels! Figure out what will work best for the two of you so you can keep in touch. Now you’ve got a friend for the long haul!
Your shining personality and compassion for those around you will go a long way towards helping you build a community while you’re on the road. Still need a rig before you can set off on your adventure? Visit our dealership in Mathis today to check out our wide selection of new and used RVs and campers for sale. We offer both financing and trade-in options to help you pay for the rig you want. Howdy Ranch RV proudly serves the cities of Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Victoria, Texas.