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On this, the last day of 2014, I wanted to give a special thank you to my friends.
More than anything, 2014 was a year of friendship. The second half of 2014 was one of the darkest and most difficult periods of my life, and I wouldn’t have gotten through it without the unconditional support of the people closest to me.
During that time, I learned several lessons from my friends — lessons that I’d like to share with all of you.
Generosity is easy.
I was overwhelmed by the hospitality I was extended by so many friends, family and readers this year.
Special thanks to Allison and Colin in Brunei, Richard and his family in Hong Kong, Crystal in Los Angeles, Chelsey and John in DC, Elissa in Baltimore, Kelly and Dave in Pennsylvania, Sarah and Zack in New York, Amy and Jay in Connecticut, Matthew and Juanita and their family in Malta, all of whom welcomed me into their homes without hesitation and make me feel like it was no imposition at all.
You’ve always got a place to stay with me, and I intend on returning the favor threefold as soon as I have a place of my own.
Loyalty can be instant.
I became friends with Chris and Tawny in about five minutes flat. I love whenever that happens!
But by three days later, we were such good friends that they were actually spitting on my behalf, defending my honor and battling against my enemies.
That’s true loyalty. And it can be instant. I’m so glad to know that that exists.
We should take more selfies.
Of groups of us together, that is. I first noticed it with my friend Richard in Hong Kong, then my friend Crystal in Los Angeles. Both of them took selfies of themselves with their friends constantly and uploaded each one to Facebook.
I thought it was a bit overkill at first — but now I do it myself and I LOVE it. It’s all about creating memories, and I love going through Facebook and seeing photos reminding me of all my good times with friends!
Time doesn’t need to pass at all.
The Brood — me, Alexa, Beth, and Lisa — are my three best friends from high school. We spent every moment together during those years.
And even though now we’re all 30 and our conversation revolves around weddings more than anything else these days, and even though we’re not as obsessed with the Backstreet Boys as much as we used to be, we still have the same banter that we had all those years ago. When the four of us get together, it’s like time never passed.
Photo: Laurence Norah
I really miss performing.
This is something I never expected. I’ve been a performer all my life, singing and dancing and playing the piano all over the place, but it had dampened down in the past few years. Why was that?
Because I no longer had a group to be part of, like I did in high school and college? Because I was no longer driving, my favorite place to belt it out? Because pianos aren’t the most portable of instruments? Because I was living in apartments and self-conscious about how loud I was?
Well, in Sri Lanka, I met Leif. I think we went from “Wait — you swing dance? I swing dance!” to swing dancing in the pool, salsa dancing, popping and locking Ethiopian-style and singing showtunes at the top of our lungs (even my favorite, the obscure musical Notre Dame de Paris IN FRENCH) more or less nonstop for about a week and a half, much to the amusement of our other friends.
And it was amazing. I’ve missed performing so much and I didn’t realize it until then.
I need to sing more, I need to dance more, and I need to make it a priority in my life. I know that now.
Savor the special moments.
One of my favorite moments this year (and one that in retrospect I should have included in my best travel moments of 2014 post) was when my friend Beth and I did a mini road trip down to New Bedford, Mass, two days before her wedding.
It wasn’t that big of a deal — just a two-hour ride down from our hometown, dropping off supplies for the wedding reception. But we made a detour for Marylou’s Coffee, we listened to great music, we talked a lot.
It was simple, but it meant a lot of me to have that special time with my best friend right before she got married.
Make friends with brilliant people.
I sent the above photo from our elephant safari in Sri Lanka to my family. My mom replied asking me who everyone was.
I wrote:
“On the left, that’s Steve, he’s a fantastic videographer and he’s doing work for Cinnamon Hotels here in Sri Lanka. Next is Katie and she’s a brilliant film photographer. She’s from near us but she lives in Istanbul now. Next is Becki. She really likes traveling to offbeat places — she was in Iran and the Caucasus this year and has been to most countries in Asia. Laurence is next — he’s an amazing landscape photographer and he grew up in the Seychelles. Paul is last — he runs a site about working and volunteering around the world and he and his partner Karen are Maltese and one of the most fun couples you’ll ever meet.”
“What an interesting group of people!” my mom replied.
Yes, they are. My friends inspire me and challenge me to be more creative, and I love that about them.
I communicate best through writing.
Because I travel so much (as do many of my friends), a lot of my deepest conversations take place over Facebook chat. And over time, I learned that when I’m having a tough time, I express myself most easily through writing.
During some of the tough times of this summer and fall, several of my friends stepped up to have long conversations with me. I soon realized that I get so much more out of those online conversations than I expected. But because of that, I now know that if I’m having a hard time with clarity about a situation, I need to write about it, not talk about it.
I have so many friends who were there for me during that time, but especially Amy. Thank you for stepping up and helping me process everything.
We should put more effort into planning special events together.
When I met a crew of Pinoy travel bloggers in Manila (and, for the record, travel blogs in the Philippines pull CRAZY numbers), I was impressed that they get together once a month for a party and sleepover in a posh hotel. There’s food, there’s booze, there’s karaoke, and it’s a lot of fun.
Granted, it’s their blogs that allow them to get hotels comped and all that — but you can do the same concept. Have a special once-a-month tradition with your friends. Get together, chat about your latest happenings, eat good food, and bond. Once I become more stationary, this is something I’d like to do on a regular basis.
Dress up and get your makeup done every now and then.
Just because when you look good, you feel good. And it makes for great pictures, even when you’re goofing off and leaving weird selfies on the bride’s phone.
Bad decisions are better made in unison.
Like a day of drinking beers on the beach with Laurence, Leif and Nadeem, followed by oysters and wine for dinner, then arrak (Sri Lankan rice liquor) and cokes, then passion fruit mojitos, then tequila shots, then kamikaze shots.
What were we thinking?! We’re not 21 anymore!
If you’re going to be writhing in agony the next day, it’s good to have some friends in equal agony beside you as you munch dry toast, drink coconut water, and vow never to consume alcohol again.
Photo: Anna Kate
Photographers are GOOD FRIENDS TO HAVE.
All my life, I’ve been the girl who brings along her camera and takes pictures of everything, which is great for remembering stuff, but it’s even better if you use a good camera and edit the photos well.
One person who does that is Anna. She always brings her Canon DSLR around with her, and as a result, we have some fantastic party photos, which are much better than my usual pixellated, blurry selfies!
Be zany. Be weird.
Because life’s too short to take yourself seriously all the time.
Love the last bit (life’s too short to be taken seriously all the time). But easier said than done, no..?
You’ve got to make it a priority. 🙂
I loved this post! It made me think of how my friends helped to enhance every experience this year. Happy new year!
That’s one lovely year in review – this is what everything is about…with traveling and doing what you love to do…it’s about the people.
Since I made this move in 2012 where I met you, Kate, for the first time (in Porto, remember?!) I had those years full of great people who do what they love. I met travelers who fulfilled a life long dream and followed their passion and I got to know locals who were able to give me another perspective on the country and a slice of what it really is like to live there.
It was short (but sweet ;)) meeting you in Sri Lanka, though I was quite busy with work and tired most of the time (sorry). I’m looking forward to the next trip with you – hopefully very soon!
Have a great start into 2015 & Cheers from Hamburg
Steve, you are one of the people with whom I need to hang out more. Hopefully we can do a trip or something special in 2015! It’s always great seeing you.
Kate, you and I are the same age and honestly our lives are almost completely opposite. However, what you’ve posted above is so true no matter the life you lead. Make good friends and love them, love yourself, and be positive. The “secrets” to a happy life are so obvious and out in the open yet we all struggle to reach them fully. You give a lot of people, myself included, a view of the world that we otherwise wouldn’t see. It’s not just your pictures, but how you handle even the mundane things. It’s a welcome perspective on life outside my own bubble.Thank you for the inspiration and the lessons 🙂 See you in 2015!
That means a lot to me, Diana. Thank you. I’m so glad you’re along for the ride!
I loved this. Can’t wait to read about your 2015 adventures, Kate!
I feel I can articulate myself better over IM chat too. Great lessons learned in 2014. With that said, on to a great 2015!
Really insightful post!
Having moved at least twice a year for the past decade, it makes it really difficult to gather & keep up with friends – most of whom I love dearly. I especially miss them when moving to a new town, like we’ve just done, and I don’t know anyone. But it’s heartening to know we’ve got them when we blaze through those towns!
Shalan
That’s true. And one of the blessings of being a travel blogger is that I have friends almost everywhere I go — and if not, I’ve got readers eager to show me around!
Friends are such a blessing. So nice to cherish each and every one!
You know it. 🙂 The older I get, the more I value them!
I’ve been looking forward to your year-end post, and this didn’t disappoint! Insightful, inspiring, fun, and great pictures! Cheers to a beautiful 2015!
“Bad Decisions are Better Made in Unison”… words to live by, haha! I laughed out loud at this one. Just like Diana said above, these words are great no matter what type of life you live. For me, the people I encounter and the kinds of friends I make directly influence how rich my life feels. Thanks for the post, and reminding me what’s important in life! Happy New Year Kate!
Though of course, try to limit your bad decisions in the first place…
This is my first visit to your blog and I already love it because your year end roundup is about friendship. There’s nothing more important than that. New friends, old friends, they’re all amazing.
Welcome, Erin! Thanks so much, and I hope to see more of you! 🙂
wonderful post Kate! Here’s to 2015!
love this post!!! friendship and sharing is what is all about!!
love meeting you and always learning when talking to you.
hope to see you this year #incostabrava !
Jaume, I always have a great time when I’m with you. 🙂 I’m in for Costa Brava as long as we can drink wine from those cool glasses that you pour into your mouth!
Great 2014 post Kate, I love reading your posts, you inspire, I would love to be more like you, getting out there and meeting all of these wonderful people. We have been travelling now for nearly 4 years and absolutely love it but unfortunately do not meet new people like you do, I guess it is just different personalities. Hope 2015 brings you much happiness, wonderful fun travels and new and exciting adventures.
Well, since you say “we,” it’s definitely more difficult to meet people as a couple than when you’re on your own. Unless you actively seek out other people (which I did when I was traveling with a partner), you won’t meet nearly as many people. Look into joining some local Couchsurfing meetups in the cities you visit; everyone’s welcome at those and you can easily meet new friends!
I enjoyed reading this. Mostly I think the end of year summary posts are more about the writer than the reader however, this one actually had me laughing in points and nodding along going, “I know what you mean!” nicely done! 🙂
Thank you! I’m really glad you liked it. 🙂
Great advice, thanks for sharing Kate. I wish you all the best in 2015.
This is lovely, Kate. Thank you. You know we’re always here for you, always!
I’m glad we got to spend time together this year in two different countries… and I can’t wait for the next one. Lots of love to you!
I’m so glad I got to spend the time with you, too! Here’s to more global adventures next year. 🙂
This is such a lovely post, Kate. It looks like you have such an amazing group of friends. I completely agree about group selfies – I always make sure to grab a few whenever I can!
My friends ARE amazing. They’re the best. 🙂
Beautiful post Kate. I’m really glad we got to know each other this year. Here’s to glamming up, taking selfies or making bad decisions together in 2015 xxx
I’m so glad I got to know you, too! Let’s do all three!
Oh goodness I miss my friends while traveling so much. Honestly the hardest part of the backpacker lifestyle.
So glad you’ve been able to keep your connections strong. Also you look lovely in the purple bridemaids dress.
Thank you! Those were the most gorgeous dresses ever — everyone looked beautiful in them.
This is incredible. My life has changed drastically in six months, but I know I always have a home (a bricks-and-mortar and a virtual home) and friends who know me pre- and post-travel. I just have to find someone else to be the photographer!
Happy 2015!
You know we have your back! We’re so grateful that we finally got to meet you and can’t wait to see all that 2015 has in store for you. We know it’s going to be great. Here’s to a new year with new memories. Let’s rendezvous somewhere around the world soon!
I loved meeting you guys this year! Hope to see you soon!
Great to meet up with you in NYC!
Always awesome hanging out with you!
I loved reading this Kate. I am currently at home for 4 months – my last visit was 2 years ago, and I have been away 10 years with very little time at home.
I have really made an effort with my friends this time, because I have learnt how important friends can be in your life. While it’s important to be independent too, it’s also important to have strong bonds with others who you can talk to and rely on in times of need. I have also realised that even if my friends at home and I have taken completely different paths in life, there is nothing quite like your friends who continue to stick by you at home.
You’re totally right, Cyra.
Friends definitely make the world a better place, especially during the bad times. Most of my best friends I have met through high school and/or traveling. And they are ones that I might not see for a couple of years, but we can just pick things up from where we left off. I also express myself better through writing than speech.
Singing and dancing is definitely a MUST! Can’t imagine going through life without them. And you can instantly become friends with almost anybody that’s ready to belt it out no matter how good or bad they sound.
But Notre Dame de Paris is not obscure!!! It can’t be! I’ve been singing it at the top of my lungs with so many different people in so many different settings:on mountains, in train cars or on the road, in empty town plazas and in the pool :)) I’ve even gotten into an argument on Youtube on whether the Italian version (and singer) is better than Daniel Lavoie singing (it’s not!).
So hope you keep singing and dancing and writing as much as you physically can in 2015!
Oh really! I’ve never met anyone else who knew about it! It was super-popular when I went on my first overseas trip to France in 2001 when I was 16. Then a few months later I saw it performed in English in London. I had no idea there was an Italian version!
I like your last point. I wish more people took ‘in the moment’ photos. It’s great to not just cover the obvious moments and they look so much more natural.
Kate!
Truer words never spoken. 2014 was a rough year for me and made harder being at a distance from family (expat American in Kiwiland). I can’t say enough about the beautiful, amazing friends I have made in my 4 years here.
I am blessed to be grounded by my oldest friends and bolstered by my newest friends. They are my joy and my strength and keep life incredible.
Here’s to connecting and living life with more and more crazy adventurous souls in 2015!!!
Been following your blog for a bit, and this post truly warms the heart. I was first attracted to your blog because you’re also from Massachusetts, but most of your posts are about places I’ve been dreaming of going to! This post in particular is a great reminder to everyone that despite hardships, laughter, love and friends truly make a difference!
Hope 2015 is amazing for you, and I’m excited to read more!
I appreciate that, Nicole! Thanks so much!