Globetrotting with bestie

Imagine — sitting on a white sandy beach, the rolling waves come splashing down your way and in your hand is a Pina Colada with and wedge of pineapple. You look to the right and find your bestie —  the one whom you have known all your life and someone who will do literally anything for you, lounging next to you. According to the latest reports, ‘Friendmoons’ are the new in thing when it comes to travel trends next year. It entails going on a vacay with your bestie while your spouse stays at home. Though this has been going on for a long time, it is only recently that it received a name. Talking to city-folk, we find out more...

Sourabha Rao and her friend, Prajna Tejaswi, love exploring offbeat places. Talking about why she would like to go on a trip with her, Sourabha says, “Prajna has a way of looking at the world differently and this gives me a new perspective and we love exploring the unusual. Vacationing with a friend is like a whole new experience. I get to experience a whole different side of me.”

When asked what her husband thinks of her trips, she says, “As an artist, he understands my need for solitude and freedom.” She further adds, “Every trip that we’ve been on, we come back feeling refreshed. Meeting new people and listening to their stories give us so much learning and unlearning.”

Sriram P.S., who works in the IT sector, has a group of friends that he always travels with. He says, “These are people that I have known over six years. Somehow we all work well together and are very compatible. Trips are always special with this group as we enjoy each other’s company and we also have similar interests and each one respects the other’s decisions.” Talking about how his wife feels when he goes on vacay with these friends, “Though she accompanies me sometimes, she supports my decision fully when we want to go alone,” he shares, adding that such trip is must if you want to feel refreshed.

Neetika Singh loves travelling with her friend, Shradha Singhal, who she doesn’t get to meet often. “Our parents were friends and then we became friends. It was like taking the legacy forward. She was studying in Kolkata when I went to meet her. Every time we catch up for a trip, we have a year’s worth of stuff to share with each other,” she shares, adding that they plan to go to Goa for the Sunburn Festival.

Lincy Aravind, a stay-at-home mom, feels a trip is memorable only when you can share it with a person whose interest is similar to yours. She says, “I would love to go on vacation with my sister Nancy. Why? Maybe it’s because of the wavelength we share. Our interests are pretty much similar. So if we were to go, we’d be wanting to do the same things and trip will ultimately be memorable and fun. We have always wanted to take a vacay like this, away from all, from the present-day situations, to just be and enjoy that moment like our childhood days and to relive those memories better.”