Whether it be a city an hour away from you or a country overseas that you finally get to cross off of your bucket list, when it comes to taking on new and exciting places I can guarantee you that your trip will be 10x better if you take your best friend along with you.

Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator

I mean think about it. Your best friend is someone who you can chill out, eat ice cream and watch movies with on a lazy Sunday. They're the people that make library days somehow exciting and rainy days into fantastic adventures. Your best friends are the ones who can literally lay on the couch with you all day talking about nothing but still managing to make it a great time. <-- is this correct grammar?***

So imagine what it would be like being in a new place, eating new foods, experiencing a new culture and taking in new people all with your best friend by your side. Sounds pretty awesome, right?

Well I can tell you from first hand experience that traveling with best friends is one of the greatest things you will ever experience.

I recently got back from a two week long visit to Honolulu, Hawaii with my one of my roommates who has come to be one of my best friends. While I have spent a considerable amount of time in this beautiful wonderland, this trip was made so special by the company of my friend who has never been to the island before.

I got to make so many new memories on beaches I grew up going to all the time. From laughing on the shore to snorkeling through reef to making her pick up sea cucumbers from tide pools, every moment by the ocean was fun and full.

We took on hikes that lead to views that will take your breath away. Living in a place as flat as College Station, Texas, you really don't get to hike much. So from a thousand stairs up a mountain to scaling the side of waterfall, each adventure was something crazy and new that I got to take on with my best friend by my side.

Even our meals were full of variety and excitement. We ate poke from the best fish restaurant on the island, got a hefty serving of Korean and Japanese food and consumed a lifetime's worth of bubble tea throughout the trip. But again, what made each new taste so fun was getting to do it all with one of my best friends.

I'm not saying your next trip has to be anywhere crazy, but make a point this new year to take any and all trips presented to you with your friends. Even if it's the next town over to try world's largest hot dog--do it! Because chances are you will end up with memories that will last you a lifetime made with people who will by by your side throughout your lifetime.