I am unfortunately a painfully shy person when it comes to strangers. I blame it on being ISFP, a personality trait aptly encapsultaed on this Web page:
[ISFPs] seldom speak with strangers because they’re reserved; that quality can make them seem standoffish and even unapproachable, despite their innately caring personality.
That’s why I never made any long lasting friendships while on the road.
But I did try to be friendlier and create a short lasting companionship with a fellow hosteller while in Luoyang China.
It didn’t work out.
Perhaps it was him still typing away on his laptop during the time we were supposed to leave, or him not bothering to do research on how to get there, or skipping a paid-entrance sightseeing spot to go back to the hostel (and not knowing how to go back) or him patting down his combover after a gust of wind. Or all of the above.
My best companion while on the road is probably myself, which explains the photo of me taking a picture of my reflection.
That’s a bit sad.
This post if part of BootsnAll’s 30 Days of Indie Travel. Day 12: Meaningful connections.
Prompt #12: MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS
Travelers meet dozens, if not hundreds, of new people on every trip. They may become friends, enemies, lovers, and resources; they may stay in your life forever or be forgotten the next day. Tell about a time you felt a powerful connection – for however long – to another person while traveling.
The rest of my posts for the project can be found here.
YQtravelling 
I first found your post about avoiding Air Asia’s hidden fees, but this post caught my eye. I am from California and I have a history of being very outgoing (ENFJ I think). On my week-long vacation to Koh Chang between teaching gigs, I found myself incredibly lonely and frustrated because I couldn’t connect with people. Reading your post and talking to introverted foreigners in Thailand has reminded me to not assume that shy travelers are not necessarily looking down on me when they don’t return my warm invitations to connect.
As a ISFP, do you want outgoing people to connect with you? I wonder how I can distinguish between travelers who want me to connect with them despite shyness/limited English, and travelers who would prefer to be alone.
Hello Gina! It took me a long while to figure out how to answer your Q about shy vs people who want to be alone. I’m shy and an introvert while travelling so both applies to me.
For me, I would accept the invitation of someone who asks me to go along for activities. But if I prefer being alone, I would actively avoid the extroverts. Not sure if this helps in your case.
Safe travels!