The People You Should Definitely Hook Up With While Abroad

They'll make you new travel stories.
by Alexis Betia | April 12, 2016

To hook up or not to hook up, that is the question—but for another time.

The truth is that for every hook up horror story we’ve heard from friends, we’ve also sat through entire lectures about how it’s an absolute must when you find yourself out of the country. While we’re sure hooking up abroad comes with its own set of rules (like maybe, thou shall not ditch the friends you’re traveling with?), we do acknowledge the appeal in it. I mean, who doesn’t love a good meet-cute, especially when one of the main characters is you?

While you may be travelling to find yourself, the journey itself can get pretty lonely. You may find a piece here and there, but you’ll never be able to put the pieces together until you lose them all over again. Ditch your inhibitions and discover yourself as a stranger. If you absolutely must, here are the people you should hook up with while abroad.

The Solo Traveler

Chances are you’ll have a lot in common with the solo traveler. It might be the first time out for both of you, or it might be your third time round and their first. Whatever the case may be, Solo Traveler has no one to answer to, which causes them to feel more uninhibited and maybe just as lonely as you. Solo Traveler is also usually game for any adventure and treats every new experience as a gift. This kind of outlook is contagious, and you really, really want to cuddle up next to that at least for a night.

The Charming Local

Wherever it is you find yourself, you’ll want to experience it through the eyes of a local rather than through the lens of your Lonely Planet recommendations. Hooking up with Charming Local, apart from being a no-strings-attached adventure, makes you privy to stories and experiences you wouldn’t otherwise have even imagined. From tucked away neighborhoods to amazing local bands, stories about growing up and the actual human experience of living in that place, hooking up with Charming Local is an experience you shouldn’t pass up—just ask Lena and Kostas.

The One Who Never Left

Seeing the country from the eyes of the one who visited it and never left is sure to be as thrilling as it is an exercise in self-discipline. By getting close and intimate with them, you inevitably discover what it was that made them stay, and maybe even fall in love with the same things yourself. Besides, anyone who was brave enough to leave everything they knew behind is at least worth having a drink with, right?

The Older (and Wiser) Local

Imagine meeting someone older and wiser than you with a wealth of knowledge about the ins and outs of the country, the culture and the human condition. Now, we don’t mean hook up with them literally (unless you want to), we mean open up to them, start a relationship. Chances are if you’re going through any sort of existentialist crisis, they can be a lifeline, an anchor, or simply a welcome distraction. They may or may not see a bit of themselves in you, but you will in them. Learn from your elders, as they say, and this is the kind of relationship you’ll want to keep even after you’ve boarded your plane home.

Who else? Post your thoughts in the comments!