Be Careful Who You Travel With
Travel enriches life. Yes, but it depends on whom you travel with.
I was looking forward to the trip to Italy. I saw myself drinking Aperol by Lake Como, eating pasta in Genoa, and wandering the streets of Milan. All this happened, kind of, with just a touch of anger and despair.
I’m annoyed by the fact that if you are traveling alone, you have to pay extra money to a travel agency. How it usually goes is, that they assign you a roommate. If you don’t want a roommate — pay extra. When you add it all up, you pay almost for two people! This life doesn’t really like singles. Turns out you have to bring someone along to make the trip worthwhile. But, let's get back to the story.
I made an agreement with my friend to travel together for 4 days to Italy. We got ready for the trip, communicated all the time and everything was cool. We’ve known each other for many years, and although we didn’t hang out for a while, I roughly knew what she was like — she was always kind of focused on herself, but I thought that was history. Still, I haven’t spent so much time alone with her in a long time.
It doesn’t matter — I told myself, that was a long time ago, and she can be whatever she wants, as long as we are in Italy — I won’t mind. God, how wrong I was! I realized very quickly that I was actually embarking on a journey to be her professional photographer (which, of course, I wasn't), and she slammed me for every word I said, making me feel jittery and anxious.
I always had to remember the place where we should meet the rest of the group after the end of free time, because she supposedly can’t remember that, has a bad memory, and has better things to do. She did not want to communicate with others because she was unsure of her English.
After taking 156 photos, not a single one would turn out nice because — I don’t try hard enough. Really now?!
If I complained even for a second that I was tired, she would tell me that I was always complaining and was ruining her mood. Although she complained 5 minutes before that her back hurt, her teeth hurt, she was stiff, the weather didn’t suit her, she was cold, etc.
Since she likes to dress up (by that I mean full make-up, and dressing in tight clothes) I would always wait for her to get ready and we would be late. Not to mention that I would feel like the Ugly Duckling next to her.
Somehow we would always do what she wanted.
Everything escalated when, more than 6 hours after my last meal, I sat down in a restaurant to have lunch. Turns out she had other plans — having a takeaway and window shopping for hours.
Well, that was it! No one will come between me and my food! I sat down to have a proper lunch like any normal person and said that if she wanted to go shopping, she should do it herself and call me when she’s done.
A flood of words came out of me.
After that, we didn’t talk for a while, but made up eventually.
I will remember my trip to Italy by eating pizza and pasta, seeing beautiful places, but most of all by the sentence — better to be alone than in bad company.
Well, next time I’ll be smarter when choosing the person I’m traveling with, or I’ll rather give extra money but keep my peace.
And yes, some people never change.
