Meeting strangers and making them friends for ever and after is most exciting part of traveling. Some people boast about it by making making friends across continents. Some fall in love. Some learn things probably no one would tell them in their entire lives. Some find excuses for wine and dine. Some are able to shed their shyness. So many possibilities exist, if only you reach out to that strange guy girl just next to you. Though we agree it could be awkward, but again here we are with some tips to kill it.
- The obsession of socializing with likeminded people is true. So how would you ensure that. Try with passing a signal, like high fiving your travel partner and keeping it visible to strangers. Or flash your tattoo, or may be do little dance step.
- Being moody doesn’t means you have split personality. On days you could be casual, on others a hip. During your travel try to dress up yourself along with attitude of what most people you are going to encounter. It will bring you closer to em.
- Incentivize your passion into experiences. I mean, if you are a writer, go to a popular library in your destination, you will not only make friends but some fans too. Talking with strangers with same passion is often easier than enjoying a foreign song.
- Innocently, try exchanging music. Offer them your favorite music CD and i bet they will like the gesture. Music can be a great conversation starter. In a restro you can demand a song to be played that matches the personality of stranger with glasses raised.
- Be bullish and keep an extra ticket to a concert in the destination that is surely going to get jam packed. On last minute stride in, pick a person in anxiety and rage for not getting tickets, and take them on a ride inside. I bet, it will go way far.
- Don’t be self centered. Never keep the conversation be one sided with everything about you. Keep it open and two way. I would insist, hear more and come up with a little humor in regular breaks. If stranger is shy, invoke them with lots of questions.
- When on plane, let your fellow passenger on next seat, know you will prefer talking over watching in flight entertainment. Break the ice with little humor, ‘Hey that is centuries old stuff’, or ‘Seriously i know Rafael Nadal is still the best’, etc.
- Carry a special snack or cookies or sweets, when you travel. Offer it to the person whom you wanna talk with clear mention ‘That you wont get this anywhere around’, or maybe ‘Something special i don’t offer to everybody’.
- Folks, never talk about weather, or how bad the airline staff is, or that long documents verification line. Instead ask them the purpose of their visit, if they too are on vacation, immediately ask their itinerary and match how you both can team up.
- Don’t be a diplomat at your first stance. It has to be kept a little bit personal, subdued, and should like an effort. Speaking straightaway about US China Trade War, or how Jeff Bezos is getting to top the rich list, is a bad idea.
- Personalization is the key. Don’t be hesitant on regularly keeping the conversation more personal by acknowledging the person by their name. It instils the name in memory and calling the name probably will touch their chords.
- If you get to come across a group of people looking open for conversations with strangers. Trust me that is like gold mine. Go for it, and in the end you will have good time spent with at least one person.
- If your conversation is going good, give a try at throwing them with a bad experience of yours and see their reaction. It could be, ‘A guy i met in last vacation was complete jerk’, or ‘a friend backstabbed me’. This will bring you closer.
- Always appreciate the any healthy conversation that enriches you. This will make the speaker contented and probably he will share more new amazing things with you. Trust me ladies, you might get your next secret beauty tip with this one.
- A Wifi password can connect you with a total stranger. In such zones, ask that person for the password and bingo you get the window. Tell them about any crazy or amazing new website, start with engaging sites then shift to something personal.
- If the conversation starts getting monotonous, break it with appreciating anything you like about them. It could be, ‘Hey your dimples are really cute’, or ‘That are nice shoes’, or about surrounding, ‘Hey, isn’t that Jimi Hendrix on poster, i love his songs’.
- If you are a sightseeing spot, relaxed back or sitting on public bench with fellow travelers. A good question is to say a hi, and start conversation with asking about any hidden gem of spot in city. Talk about touring then proceed with personal talks.
- Asking a fellow traveler for taking a picture of yours is a great move. Especially when it is over, offer them a ice cream or a coffee to return the favor. This will get you started. If you are a professional photographer, offer them a good picture as takeaway.
- If you are traveling solo, asking to a fellow traveler on dining table for a request to join is another great move. It will simply make your evening rather than lurking alone for a miracle to happen. Plus, nothing beats a conversation over dinner.
- Confidence is the key. Keep this stored deep in your mind. The moment you loosen yourself or start feeling scared, obnoxious, awkward, you will lose the talk. Keep your inner gut feeling aside, open up to what life has planned.
- Learn some local jokes that will come in handy to lighten up the talks. Plus you are going to amaze the people you will talk with. You might also get appreciated for that, and it is likely they will share more stuff with you.
Strange things will happen till you remain a Stranger!
