想玩得开心，又保持友谊？ 找个可以一起旅行的朋友！

　　

　　There is no more important decision or greater commitment in life than choosing the right traveling companion. Having a kid, getting married, rescuing a puppy, moving from Manhattan to Texarkana—these are all small potatoes compared to spending 10 days in Guadeloupe with a friend.

　　Most people have a lot of friends, maybe even several tiers of friends. The A list, the B list, the ones who can drive, the ones who can find the exact right pair of jeans, the ones who have a lot of specialist doctors, the ones who can set up a tray of hors d’oeuvres in the shape of a pinwheel—but none are who you’d want to take on a trip. That takes a whole different list of criteria and it is all about Travel Compatibility.

　　I‘ve compiled a simple checklist of scenarios for you and your potential travel mate to consider. If you have fewer than four out of six questions in common, you may want to rethink your choice.=

　　Financial Compatibility: This is not just about having similar incomes, but also about the way you spend money. Here’s the scenario: You’ve been walking around Belize all day and are exhausted and a little bit lost. You see a bus stop that might take you near your hotelandyou see a taxi that will cost big bucks but will certainly take you to your hotel. Are you going to splurge or save?

　　Fitness: If you’re the kind of person who panics when your gym is closed on Christmas, you’ll want to make sure you’re both on the same page about fitness options. Here’s the scenario: You are at the Statue of Liberty and you have a option of walking up to her nose or taking a helicopter around it. Are you taking the easy way out?

　　Eating and Drinking: This is one of the most crucial points, in my opinion. I need to eat in a timely fashion, and my personality suffers if I don’t. Because this one is more important than anything else, be honest with your answers to the following true-or-false questions: your trip depends on it.

　　• I have frequently uttered the sentence, “I forgot to eat lunch!” True or False.

　　• When given a choice between a boat ride down the Ganges or a breakfast buffet, I’d choose the buffet. True or False.

　　• Sometimes I need a glass of wine, and when I say a glass, I mean a bottle. True or False.

　　• I understand that some people shouldn’t be spoken to before they’ve had coffee. True or False.

　　The True Test of Friendship: How Do Relationships Withstand the Amazing Race

　　How You View Art:I’ve often impressed people with the speed by which I can get through an exhibit. In fact, I frequently find myself waiting for upwards of an hour at the gift shop at the end of a show—which is not a bad thing. You can tell what pieces were the most important by what’s on the T-shirts and mugs. Okay, there’s not really a scenario here. Just say “Do you like to spend hours looking at one painting?” and take it from there.

　　Level of Comfort: This overlaps with many of the previous categories, but it is significant in its importance—or lack thereof. This is where you need to find out how your companion rates the things you consider non-negotiable in a hotel. Everyone’s list is different, but just to get you started, here’s mine:

　　• Air-conditioning

　　• WiFi

　　• Room service

　　• A minimum of three stars, no wait, four

　　• Bonus for a stocked minibar

　　Flexibility and Temperament: This last one encompasses all the categories. Some things to think about: How nuts do you get if everything doesn’t work out? Is the goal of your trip to enjoy yourself? If you desperately wanted a water view and you’re facing the airport, will you cry or appreciate that you’re getting to see an awful lot of planes take off? Or do you have a checklist of sites that you’d be devastated to miss? (You and your friend should be in synch. You can’t have two people panicking that the Pyramids are closing.)

　　In the end, my advice is to go with your gut. And at the very least, know that you don’t want to travel with me.

　　人生中，没什么决定比选择一个合拍的出行拍档更重要的了。结婚生子，解救宠物，从曼哈顿搬到德克萨肯纳——这些事情，比起和朋友去瓜德鲁普岛呆上10天而言，都只是小巫见大巫。

　　多数人都有一大帮朋友，甚至还分好几类。密友，普通朋友，会开车的，找牛仔裤很拿手的，认识很多专科医生的，会将开胃菜拼成纸风车形状的——但是他们都不是你想共同旅行的那个人。这类朋友的标准与前面的截然不同，其实一切都只是关乎“旅途和睦指数”的问题。

　　我列了一个简单的情景列表，供你与你的潜在驴友考虑。6个问题中，如果你们答案相同数还不到4个，那奉劝你们还是重新考虑下自己的选择吧。

　　财力相当：这不仅指收入相当，而是你们花钱的方式。假设以下场景：你已经在伯利兹走了一整天，筋疲力尽，还有点迷路。这时，你看见一个公交车站，公交也许可以把你带到附近的酒店。与此同时，还有一辆的士出现，打的烧钱，但肯定能把你带到你所下榻的酒店。那么，你是要挥霍一把去打的还是省钱坐公交呢?

　　适合度：如果你是那种在圣诞节看见常去的健身房关门了都会恐慌的人，那么你会想要确保你的同伴和你在这题的选择上是一致的。假设以下情景：你正站在自由女神像脚下，眼前摆着两个选择，一是靠自己往上走，一直走到神像鼻子的高度;二是搭乘直升飞机环绕神像。你会选择省事的后者吗?

　　饮食问题：这是最重要的问题之一。就我而言，我要及时吃饭，否则我就会发飙。因为吃饭是头等大事。下列对错题请如实作答：这可关系到你的旅行。

　　• 我是否经常说，“我忘记吃午饭了!” 对或错?

　　• 如果有机会乘船渡恒河或吃自助早餐，我还是会选择后者。对或错?

　　• 有时候我需要一杯酒，当我说一杯的时候，我其实是要一瓶酒。对或错?

　　• 我理解有些人必须等到他们喝过咖啡，才能跟他们说话。 对还是错?

　　友谊的真正考验：看友谊如何顶住《极速前进》这档真人秀节目

　　如何看待艺术：我观看展览会的速度常常令人折服。事实上，我经常在展会结束时，在礼品店内等上一个多小时——这并非什么坏事。因为你可以从T恤和马克杯的图上看出哪些部分是最重要的。好吧，这根本算不上什么情景假设。就问问“你喜欢花数小时盯着一幅画看吗?”从这个问题中你就可得到“如何看待艺术”这题的答案了。

　　舒适度：这一点和前面许多分类有所重叠，但它意义重大——又或者其实没什么意义。从这点中，你要找出你的同伴是如何评价那些你所认为的酒店中的必备品。每个人的清单都不同，为了给你一点启发，我来列列我的清单：

　　• 空调

　　• 无线网络

　　• 客房服务

　　• 至少是三星级酒店，等等，至少四星……

　　• 如果有供应充足的小酒吧就可加分

　　灵活度和性格匹配度：最后一条囊括了所有分类。考虑下以下情况：如果事事不顺，你会有多抓狂?旅行的目的是否是为了玩得尽兴?如果你超想看水景，面对的却是飞机场，你准备大哭一场还是心怀感恩，因为自己就要看到许多飞机起飞的场景?又或者你是否列了一张景点清单，万一错过，会伤心欲绝。(你和驴友必须保持一致。万一你们俩都因为金字塔关闭就惊慌失措，你会受不了的。)

　　最后，我的建议就是：放胆去玩。然后至少还得明确一点，那就是你可不想和我一起出去旅行。

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