How to connect with strangers and make new friends in your 30s & 40s

When you’re in your 20s, making new friends can feel super easy. But going into your 30s, sometimes the landscape starts to shift. You lose the fair-weather mates and keep the quality ones. So far, so good — but then even the strong relationships can start to ebb, pulled by a disparate tide of life changes, promotions and house moves. But, fear not: making new connections can be great at any time of life and it is still possible to capture that carefree energy of new friendships, especially when you throw travel into the equation.

Adventure is often a shortcut to intimacy: away from the hustle of everyday life, you form bonds with like-minded people in a short space of time. The novelty of sharing somewhere new and testing your comfort zones together can create integral ties, pouring concrete into the foundations of 30s and 40s friendships. But don’t just take our word for it — here, we hear from fellow people who have travelled with Flash Pack on the joy of connecting with strangers and making new friends.

"From the first day, it felt like a group of friends" – Neil, Flashpacker

“From hysterical laughter on crazy Hanoi cycle tours to overnight trains with wine and conversation flowing into the early hours, it was such a heartening testament to the common human spirit to see people from different countries, backgrounds and life experience pulling together. We supported each other through two intense weeks in close quarters with high energy, great humour and love. From the first day, it did not feel like a tour group for solo travellers, it felt like a group of friends who had flown out to explore another friend’s home turf.”

"I couldn't have hoped for a better group" – Lucy, Flashpacker

“I couldn’t have hoped to share so many once-in-a-lifetime experiences with a better group. We’re still in touch via WhatsApp and I love looking back at all the cool photos we’ve shared. I had reservations about sharing a room, but I definitely wouldn’t think twice about doing this on future trips. Special shout-out my amazing American roommate. Three of my fellow travellers were also from the UK, so we’ve met up several times since our return, including a South Africa wine tasting event (seeing as we’re such experts now…)”.

"They are people that I would socialise with anyway" – Lindsay, Flashpacker

“I didn’t want to travel to Chile completely on my own, I wanted to experience it with others. I’m very social. The great thing about Flash Pack is the people I’ve met on the group holidays through them. They are people that I would socialise with anyway. And actually, these will be friends for life. Through knowing them, I get a constant flow of ideas and inspiration about places people have been to and how they’ve done it. There’s so many things you can do.”

"Everyone was up for a good time" – Agnes, Flashpacker

“Everyone was just very welcoming on the trip to Peru, everyone was up for a good time. It’s people that just fancy doing something together and are always up for a new adventure. You get to experience the country a lot more than if you would have done it with your friends, I think. It was one of the best holidays we’ve ever had. We’re still friends as a group, we’re still in touch and meet up.”

"You build up friendships that last" – Craig, Flashpacker

“It’s the perfect package. With the space of a couple of hours, you will have built up a friendship with people that will last. And going with a new group of people to Peru just opens up a whole world of experience, I guess. Meeting people that you wouldn’t necessarily come across in normal life. Making new friends, meeting people from different countries. For me, it adds to the experience. It’s really, really good.” 

"I've got to meet so many wonderful people" – Teha, Flashpacker

“I’ve got to meet and travel with so many wonderful people at Flash Pack. I’ve made friends from all over the world and I’ve visited several of them during my solo travels, too. This was a perk I didn’t plan on and it turned out that having a flexible approach to my travels has been a huge benefit. I’ve been able to adapt and adjust quickly, whether in a new place or meeting new people.”

Ready to set off on your own adventure? Join Flash Pack today to meet other like-minded travellers in their 30s and 40s, just like you.

Got a story or adventure that could inspire a solo traveller like you? Tag @flashpack on social or email [email protected] to be featured.

Images: Flash Pack and Unsplash