How often do we talk about friendships these days? Do we truly value friendships?
Being a social creature we humans constantly seek friendships as we develop dynamic relationships with different individuals over time. It is said that some people come to your life for a reason whereas some come for a season. Humans are always evolving so the relationship dynamics also change as per time and situation.
Significance of Friendship
Friendships play a prominent role in our lives. As every aspect has pros and cons friendships also have their ebb and flow. Some friendships can be unhealthy whereas some friendships last a lifetime. As we grow, our perspective on aspects of life changes which ultimately makes us selective. We no longer want to be with people who do not value and respect our opinions or listen to us when we are in the most vulnerable situation.
Growing up, I too had very few friends whom I could count on my palms. We meet different kinds of people on our way. Some stay for a lifetime whereas some disappear like a season from our lives. Being a person of very few words was in a way challenging for me as I could not easily connect to the people. But as I have entered my adulthood, I have made peace with who I am today and come to realize that having few quality friends is far better than a large group of unhealthy peers.
There are different kinds of friendships. During our teenage days, we thought true friendships were those who always stick together wherever they go. But now with time and knowledge, we have come to realize that true friendship is beyond physical distance. Today, we value each other’s opinions and space as most of us are busy in our own lives trying to navigate careers, work, and relationships with our parents and partners.
So, true friendships are not bothered by space anymore. True friendship is having a conversation after a long interval but still, you have a lot to share with the person next to you and the other patiently listens to you. You may not catch up more often but respect each other’s space and whenever you meet you have a valuable and deep healthy conversation.
There are different kinds of friends. You can only connect with those whom you can reciprocate. Any relationship is a two-way street. Some friends try to take advantage of you and do not value your time and emotions. Some are narcissistic and just like talking about themselves. You do not have a genuine conversation but are indulged in materialistic talks and gossip which can make the relationship a bit toxic so it is better to come out of such friendships which drains your energy.
We meet people from diverse culture and backgrounds. Open-mindedness is a valuable trait of a true friendship who can listen to your ramble without fear of being judged. Travel has made the world a small place. Many people pass by but we get connected to a few of them with whom we build lifetime friendships.
Travel becomes more fun when we meet and get to interact with like-minded individuals who love to share their journeys and make the journey lively and interesting. Similarly, during my travel, I met a lot of people from within Nepal and across borders. Some of them were funny, some adventurous, some spontaneous whereas some were loud.
During my ABC trek, I made beautiful friendships along the way. They encouraged me throughout the trail and these are the memories and friendship that you are going to cherish for a lifetime and whenever I reminisce those moments I have a big smile on my face.
The journey becomes more fun and memorable when we make valuable friendships along the way but it is not guaranteed that we bump into good people every time. So, we should be wise enough to identify the right trait of a true friendship.
Aslo read: Travel Enthusiast!