“It felt like we had known each other for years!”

Written by Kat Harrison, El Camino Travel contributor. Originally published August 2, 2022

This article is part of a multi-part series about making friends through travel. With El Camino, you know that you’re going to get an unmatched travel experience as you gain a deeper understanding of the destination’s culture, all while empowering the local creative economy. But what you may not realize is that you will also form deep connections with your travel group. Nothing brings people together quite like an El Camino trip, where the experiences are as meaningful as the friendships formed along the way.

This story features three-time El Camino Traveler, Teresa, who met her first El Camino BFF back in 2016 and her second BFF in 2022, proving that those once-in-a-lifetime friendships sometimes come around more than once.

Meet Teresa and Langa

Teresa and Langa’s friendship was born on the recent El Camino trip to Greece where the pair felt an instantaneous connection.  

“From the moment I met Langa, it felt like we had known each other for years,” reflects Teresa. “We covered everything from family to favorite reality TV shows in that first afternoon.” 

Langa also knew they would be fast friends from the moment they first met. “Teresa wasn’t overwhelmed that I asked her a million questions before she even sat down during our initial conversation,” recalls Langa. 

Their conversation didn’t end there. “We chatted non-stop for the rest of the trip,” says Teresa. 

Teresa and Langa agree that they were able to connect so quickly and deeply due to their similar approaches to travel.  

“We were on the same travel wavelength—we both like to go with the flow and keep an open mind,” explains Teresa.

“We had the same down-for-whatever vibe. We could tell that we were both interested in making the most of the group travel experience,” confirms Langa. 

Over the course of their 8-day trip, Teresa and Langa wandered around the islands in their free time, spotting cute cafes to stop into for coffees or cocktails. Teresa’s favorite memory is of an afternoon spent in a bar in Tinos, where the duo sat by a large window, people watching and chatting. Through the window they spotted several trip mates and had them join their growing table for sangria. 

“We found such fun places during our free-time,” recalls Langa. “We even had a special toast that we would do every time we had a drink together.”

Since leaving the islands of Greece, Teresa and Langa have stayed in touch from their respective home bases, North Dakota and South Africa. They both agree that their consistent texting convos will likely lead to planning another trip together. 

“We have nothing planned yet, but I would love to explore another country with Teresa,” says Langa.  

If you’re on the fence about group travel, Langa advises, “Life is too short to wait for your schedules to align with your current friends. There are so many great people out there to make new memories with, so just book the trip!”

Teresa can vouch that making a best friend on an El Camino trip isn’t a one-off experience. She has made lasting friendships on multiple El Camino trips, starting with her visit to Colombia in 2016, where she met Caroline, her travel buddy and confidant of over six years now. 

“If the location piques your interest, go!” encourages Teresa. “Chances are there will be people on the trip you leave calling friends.” 

Ready to meet your El Camino BFF?