By Sunrise Odyssey
23 August 2022

Gina, as an extrovert, shared her experiences travelling with her introverted partner. This has helped them to understand each other on a much deeper level.

1. You find yourself talking to yourself sometimes

G0019396Being an extrovert myself, it was quite interesting travelling with an introvert for a year across the globe. We definitely react (very) differently to most things and travelling helped us understand each other on a much deeper level.

As an extrovert, one of my favourite past times is talking. Yes, I absolutely love talking to people about anything under the sun but for some reason, Daniel doesn’t seem to feel the same way. In fact, he would avoid talking if given a choice. So imagine travelling with an introvert, you'll most likely end up talking so much that sometimes, you realise that you're talking to yourself. Haha, but it's not all that bad, introverts are excellent listeners! 

2. He doesn’t seem to have much expression (not easily annoyed or excited)

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I get excited easily and at times, it's difficult to contain my excitement! I end up bouncing around in jubilation while watching my very calm partner (who is also actually very excited) with only a slight smirk on his face. Yes, he is also very excited but that’s exactly how he expresses his excitement!

One bad thing about being too emotional is that I tend to get affected by little things very easily. The slightest thing can annoy me and sometimes change my mood entirely. But travelling with an introvert has definitely taught me to not sweat the small things.

3. You feel strangely calm when things go wrong

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One amazing thing about Daniel is that nothing can ever get him down, like seriously. Not when he sprained his ankle when he was in Turkmenistan, or when he had a nasty tooth infection and extraction in Mongolia or when he smashed his only phone’s screen in a taxi in Iran.

I would have wallowed up in self-pity and be whining non-stop if any of those happened to me (ok, exaggerated but you get my point)!

So when “bad” things happened, I turn to Daniel and when I realise how calm he is, I'll start feeling stupid for being upset over such trivial matters. So yes, travelling with an introvert definitely calmed an extrovert like me, down in stressful situations.

4. You learn to be more tolerant towards unpleasant things

GOPR8847Travelling opens up our mind and eyes to a brand new world; the various cultures and living styles. When we were in travelling China, it was challenging getting used to the country.

We took a lot of public transport in China and this was what happened in one of the local trains that we took. Yes, the guy opposite simply stretched his leg comfortably and placed it next to Daniel. But to no surprise, he was not the least bit affected. (Omg! I can’t imagine if I were in his shoes…)

5. You feel safe with him watching over you quietly from behind

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It’s a known fact that introverts are a lot more observant while extroverts tend to be more oblivious to their surroundings. I’m always in my own world and sometimes I can really be unaware of what’s happening around me.

According to Daniel, whenever we trek , he will always watch out for falling branches, protruding tree stumps and rocks, that are in the way to ensure that I don’t injure myself. So yes, I feel safe knowing that he is always watching over me :)

6. Be prepared to spend some time alone

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Before we even embarked on our 1-year journey, Daniel had already warned me that he needed his ‘alone’ time. I respected that and I was mentally prepared to spend time alone without him too. There were times when we were in the same room but gave each other space, sitting at opposite ends of the room doing our own things.

So travelling together for a year really doesn’t mean you have to be physically together 24/7. You can still give your partner some breathing space despite being in the same place.

7. Expect to explore off the beaten destinations with hardly any people

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Introverts love places with little people. The fewer, the better. Most of the destinations we travelled to looked like this, with hardly anyone in sight! Not that I’m complaining, these hidden gems turned out to be really beautiful and breathtaking!

Not sure if I’m being influenced by Daniel, but I tend to dislike crowded places as I grow older.

8. You will get awesome photos of yourself during the trip.

tripodshotMost introverts tend to prefer being behind the camera, while extroverts tend to enjoy being in the limelight. Lucky for me, Daniel is a really good photographer, so I ended up with really amazing secret shots (see below)! He said that he prefers taking photos of me from afar or of my back view because they have more “feeling”.

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10. You find your partner getting sleepier during a gathering while you’re getting more amped up

G0020124 copy 2This is always the case when we stay at a hostel and end up making new friends. Chit chat sessions last till late and as the conversation gets more exciting, Daniel gets even more sleepy.

As an extrovert, I draw energy from people while Daniel’s energy gets drained in such social situations. So don’t expect to stay out for too long with new friends as your introverted partner will be desperately trying to fight the zzzz monster!

Above our different personalities complimented each other. As they always say, opposite attracts.

We all need much of one than the other so don't go forcing your introverted friends to open up! Share with us your travel experiences and let us know if this post  was relatable in the comments section below!