10 Reasons to Make Your Sister Your Travel Buddy

If you’re going to see the world, choose the right person to see it with. Your travel buddy is your co-conspirator, your confidant, your wingman, your dinner date, your deal finder, your waiting-for-the-bus buddy, your security officer, your parent (when you stand too close to the cliff’s edge), your budget checker, your photographer, your alarm clock, your compass and your entertainment.

Your travel buddy is, if not before the trip, your best friend.

When I backpacked parts of Europe this summer, my travel buddy was all of that, but she just also happened to be my sister.

The summer of 2015 might have been our last chance for a long time to travel together.

I know the whole get-along-with-your-sibling act might not be for everyone—but my sister is exactly the type of person I want to have on adventures with me. There aren’t many people who are as special to me as my sister is. When she asked, perhaps jokingly, “want to backpack Europe with me?” I jumped at the opportunity. I just couldn’t say no.

In fact, I wanted to backpack with my sister before we both became tied up in our professions. I’m 21 and she’s only a year-and-a-half older than me. She’s in the thick of a very difficult medical program to become a physician assistant. I am looking to find work abroad once I finish school. The summer of 2015 might have been our last chance for a long time to travel together.

We schemed for months, bought our tickets, and committed to it. We went to Italy, France, England, Wales, and Ireland. I got a taste of Europe, and experienced many unforgettable moments.

These are my top 10 reasons why you should travel with your sister–if she is your best friend:

10 Reasons to Make Your Sister Your Travel Buddy

1. Your parents know you are in good company.

Although they may also be afraid of the implications of your alliance.

2. It’s fun to mess with guys at bars who don’t believe that you are actually sisters.

I don’t know about you, but my sister and I don’t look alike at all.

3. You probably have similar tastes in friends.

We pretty much agreed on who was fun to have around us. Meeting many new people, we were able to weed out the creeps from the genuine friends.

4. She can joke around with you because she gets your humor.

My sister and I both speak fluent sarcasm.

5. You might share similar obsessions.

Our obsessions happen to be Guinness, guys with accents, and art.

6. You are competitive.

We challenge each other to drink more, run farther and be more daring.

7. You speak up for each other.

I made her ask for directions for me, several times. A sister is someone who is always looking out for you.

8. You know when to leave each other alone.

Years of door slamming and bickering give you a certain way of knowing when it is time to give each other space.

9. She might be someone who knows you better than anyone else.

Chances are you lived together for years under your parents’ roof. Although quantity doesn’t always equate quality, it sure helps to travel with someone you’ve known for years.

10. You have a past and a future together—so you know the present will always mean something in context

Think of the stories you can tell your family in generations to come. Although, be careful because you might influence your own daughters to follow suit.

Honestly, the only thing that would have made our trip better would have been if our little brother could have come, too. Cheers to the best sister a girl could ask for!

The Ups and Downs of Traveling with My Sister to Paris

Related Reading

• The Ups and Downs of Traveling with My Sister to Paris
• Making Life Elsewhere: Leaving New York for Paris
• Thirty Years Living in France: Moving to the French Countryside
• Thirty Years Living in France: Where it All Began

Have you traveled to Italy? Have you traveled with your sister? How was your trip? Email us at [email protected] for information about sharing your experience and advice with the Pink Pangea community. We can’t wait to hear from you.

10 Reasons to Make Your Sister Your Travel Buddy photo credits: Laura Zalrzerski and Unsplash.