I found a travel companion online

"I am just writing to thank you for the fab website you've got here. This time a couple of months ago I didn't have anyone to go travelling with and I found someone on your website and now we're going travelling together on the 8th of September this year for 11 1/2 months. Thanks.

Jennifer Davidson."

Age: 19

Where are you from? Exeter, Devon

What are you doing now?
I am currently at Exeter College studying AVCE Business and GCSE Spanish. I also have a couple of part time jobs.

Likes: Travelling, going out with my mates and having a good time.

Dislikes: Two-faced people and rain.

When and where are you travelling to?
We are leaving on the 8th September heading first to the Cook islands for two weeks then moving on to Fiji for two weeks; then New Zealand for one month; Oz for seven or eight months travelling up the East Coast; then going over to Perth; then on to Bali for a month; and lastly, travelling through Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand in a time period of four to six weeks.

What attracted you to these particular destinations?
I didn’t know where I wanted to go but we thought of the places we wanted to see together. I just wanted to go anywhere as long as there was a nice beach and lots to see!

Why did you decide to go travelling now?
A few of my mates have been travelling and have told me how much fun it is and that I should definitely do it. Also, I enjoy seeing new places and experiencing different cultures and having someone fun to go with makes it even better!

What made you come onto gapyear.com to search for a travel mate?
Originally I was meant to go travelling with a friend of mine from Exeter but after we had paid the deposits she decided to drop out. My mum didn’t want me going alone and I personally didn’t think I would enjoy it alone. So I phoned up STA Travel in Exeter and one of the assistants there called Jay informed me about gapyear.com.

Did you contact each other because you both wanted to go to the same destinations?
No, not really, I just got an e-mail from Laura asking where it was that I wanted to go and if there was anywhere I wanted to see in particular.

How long did it take for the initial contact to be made? Did you book your tickets before searching for a travel mate or once you’d found one?
Well we talked a lot on the internet and on the phone, to get to know each other and discussed where we could go. Then Laura came down just after Christmas for the weekend and we got on really well and sorted our flights while she was down here.

Did it feel weird to say yes to travel with someone you met on a website?
It felt really weird meeting up for the first time and some of my mates thought I was nuts letting a stranger come down to stay, but luckily we got on really well.

How was it deciding which destinations (once in particular countries) you’d both like to go to: were there any minor arguments, disagreements, etc?
No, it was all decided pretty easily: where we wanted to go and for how long cos we both just agreed all the places.

Have you met each other in the flesh and what did it feel like? Were you nervous, anxious, excited, etc...?
Laura came down last year after Christmas: it was really weird cos our mums were thinking all sorts! One of my friends came with me to pick her up in order to make my mum feel more at ease. It did feel extremely weird but what was stranger was we got on really well straight away! Laura has just been down here again and we spent a weekend in Newquay, which turned out to be crazy but good fun.

Is the plan to travel together for the entire period?
Yeah, the plan is to stick together through the whole trouble even if there might be a few minor disagreements: touch wood, there won’t be though!

What are you looking forward to the most concerning your travels?
I am looking forward to everything (apart from the long flights), especially the late nights, sea, sun and doing the whole thing with someone who’s now a very good mate (and a tad crazy, lol!)

PS: I have also got in contact with loads of other people from the website that we are hoping to meet up with on our travels.



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