They are next-door neighbours – but didn’t realise until they went on a solo-travel trip together halfway around the world.
Annaliese Cunniffe and Lauren Brown live right opposite each other in an apartment complex in Washington DC, but didn’t meet until they went on a trip 2,800 miles away to Iceland.
And it didn’t dawn on them that their apartments faced each other until after they returned.
Now they’re good friends – and are urging people to ‘get out and talk to strangers more’.
The pair’s first meeting was at the airport, thanks to the tour operator for the trip, Here & Now Travel, setting up a WhatsApp group chat one week prior to departure.
Lauren Brown (left) and Annaliese Cunniffe (right) in Iceland. They didn’t realise they were next-door neighbours prior to the trip
Lauren, a supply chain consultant, discovered Annaliese was from DC and on the same flight when they exchanged messages in this group.
They then co-ordinated to meet at the gate.
Lauren, 24, told MailOnline Travel: ‘Despite living across the hall from Annaliese, I could not have picked her out at the airport when I first met her.
‘I had to text her and tell her what I was wearing so she could find me.’
Within 15 minutes or so of meeting they realised they lived in the same apartment building and on the same floor – but just assumed they were far apart.
After the six-day trip came to an end, they shared an Uber home and had a shock when they walked to their respective apartments, right opposite each other.
Annaliese, 27, a mechanical engineer, said: ‘Who knew I’d have to fly around the world to meet my neighbour? I’m so excited I did.’
It didn’t dawn on Annaliese and Lauren that their apartments faced each other until they returned from Iceland
Lauren and Annaliese in their DC apartment complex
So how come they missed each other before travelling to the wilds of Iceland together?
Lauren said: ‘In my first few months living in the apartment I tried making friends with neighbours by attending the monthly resident events like dinners and ice-cream socials. Unfortunately, these events did not prove successful – many residents quickly grabbed the free food and headed on their way.
‘I heard similar stories from friends outside my building and accepted this to be the status quo. As life got busier, the resident events fell off my calendar and I prioritised seeing friends rather than connecting with my neighbours.’
Annaliese had similar experiences. She revealed: ‘I talked to a few people at the pool and attended a community event, but never made a lasting connection.’
Has the experience changed their outlooks on life?
Annaliese said: ‘Travelling around Iceland reinforced my mindset that the world is so big and there is still so much left to see. Therefore, it was quite a contradictory experience when Lauren and I realised we’d just spent the past few days travelling around with our next-door neighbour. Suddenly the phrase “the world is such a small place” rang true! The experience taught me to take more time to say hello and appreciate the people around me in my daily life.’
Unlike what our parents told us growing up, I think our generation needs to get out and talk to strangers more because that’s the only tried and true way to meet new people
Lauren said: ‘In a world that is increasingly fast-paced, especially in a city like DC, this experience was a reminder to slow down. It reminded me about the importance of human interaction. Slow down, smile at strangers you pass in the hall, on the street.
‘Unlike what our parents told us growing up, I think our generation needs to get out and talk to “strangers” more because that’s the only tried and true way to meet new people!’
And what would they say to anyone who’s reluctant about solo travel?
Lauren said: ‘Book the trip! I cannot stress it enough. I was super nervous when I booked my trip, especially because it was about a year away, but the closer it got, the more I realised everyone going on the trip would have the same mindset as me – wanting to make friends and see the world with cool people!’
Annaliese and Lauren with their solo travel group, enjoying the wilds of Iceland
Annaliese added: ‘Solo travel helped clear my mind from the stressors that come along with daily life. I especially enjoyed travelling with Here & Now because it was such an easy process. The hardest part was figuring out how to fit my wardrobe in my suitcase!’
Do the pair have any plans to travel together in the future?
Annaliese said: ‘We don’t have any joint trips planned yet, but we have discussed what other Here & Now trips are on the agenda! And we have been able to get outside the apartment and explore DC together.’
Here & Now Travel said: ‘This is high on the list of coolest stories to come from Here and Now and an example of why we started H&NT in the first place.
‘Life gets so hectic. Forty-plus hours a week at work, friend and family commitments, working out, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning and the list goes on and on. All of it piles up and either pushes meeting your neighbours so far down your priorities that it doesn’t happen, or you simply just don’t have enough capacity left at the end of the day to make it happen.
‘That’s where travel comes into play – removing you from the whirlwind of your everyday life, slowing you down, and allowing you to connect with others.’
For more, visit hereandnowtravel.com and www.instagram.com/hereandnowtravel.
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