From root canals to emotional roots, here’s how exploring the world deepened our bond—and taught us what friendship really means.
When you mix a dentist and a psychotherapist, you get a unique blend of precision and empathy, structure and spontaneity. But throw us into an unfamiliar city in a foreign country with two backpacks and a packed itinerary, and what unfolds is something far more illuminating than anything you’d find in a textbook or treatment plan.
Traveling the world together has been more than an escape. It’s been an ongoing lesson in what it truly means to be friends—and not just the Instagram version of it. The real, gritty, awe-filled, laugh-till-you-choke version. Here’s what we’ve learned.
1.
Patience Is a Daily Practice, Not a Personality Trait
When you’re jet-lagged in Hanoi, your Airbnb host ghosted you, and one of you just wants to nap while the other is hangry and determined to find vegan pho—you learn quickly that patience isn’t something you “have” or “don’t have.” It’s a choice you keep making. Over and over.
Our careers taught us to be patient with clients and patients. Travel taught us to be patient with each other.
2.
Laughter Is Medicine—Especially When You’re Lost
There was the time Jesse lost his passport in Tokyo. Total chaos. We were about to leave the customs line when he realized it was missing. We retraced our steps, had a panic attack, cried, and even started considering turning around and flying home.
And then… a miracle. It was still on the plane, wedged between the seat and the wall. The airline had it. Crisis averted.
We could’ve broken down. But instead, we laughed—once the tears of relief dried. Because sometimes laughter isn’t about being amused. It’s about releasing the weight of panic and saying, “We’re still okay. We’ve still got each other.”
3.
Friendship Is Built in the In-Between Moments
Yes, we’ve seen the Eiffel Tower sparkle and watched the sun rise over Machu Picchu—though that morning was mostly fog, light rain, and two grumpy people regretting the 4 a.m. alarm (should have gone later). But the memories that really stick?
Accidentally snorting a household cleaner instead of nasal spray in a cramped Denmark apartment. Arguing over our Berlin apartment due to it looking like a crack den. Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef with the sun pouring down while one of us quietly panicked about stepping on coral. Getting locked out of our Airbnb in Paris at 4 a.m., convinced the buzzing noise was the “saw of death.” It wasn’t.
And still—what we remember even more are the quiet moments: brushing our teeth in silence, lying on a too-small couch in Scotland while scrolling through photos, making soy milk coffees in a tiny kitchen before a long travel day. The kinds of moments that don’t make Instagram, but do make a friendship feel like home.
Because in the end, it’s not the postcard views that define your travels. It’s who you’re next to when you’re tired, lost, laughing, or simply being. That’s where friendship lives.
4.
We All Need a Therapist and a Dentist on the Road
We’ve had our fair share of late-night existential crises and unexpected toothaches. One of us talks through the fears of missing out, feeling unmoored, or navigating long-distance love. The other offers a travel-size floss and ibuprofen with a grin.
Turns out, the real luxury isn’t a five-star hotel—it’s having a best friend who knows your emotional and physical pain points and carries your backup sunscreen.
5.
The World Changes You, and So Does a Great Friend
Travel challenges your comfort zones. It pushes buttons you didn’t know you had. But doing it side by side with someone who sees you—not just the curated version, but the full, sweaty, impatient, jet-lagged you—makes the discomfort transformative instead of just tiring.
A good friend doesn’t just tolerate your growth. They grow with you.
Final Thoughts: We Travel Far, But Always Return to Us
As a dentist and a psychotherapist, we’ve devoted our careers to helping people heal—through teeth and trauma, through gum lines and grief. But the biggest healing we’ve experienced lately? It’s been in the form of friendship forged across passport stamps, night buses, and tiny triumphs abroad.
Friendship, like travel, doesn’t promise ease. But it promises expansion. And that’s worth every layover.