Traveling with different personality types: 7 secrets for joyful, stress-free trips. How a Curious Traveler (ENTP) and Kindly Traveler (ISFJ) found harmony in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
Stop Thinking More Is Better. Start Seeing the Soul of Travel
Vacations don’t fall apart because of missed landmarks. They collapse because personality clashes erode joy. You know this: one friend rushes through everything, the other lingers until the shops close. One wants silence, the other craves conversation. Without awareness, tiny tensions become volcanoes.
Here’s the absolute truth: compatible travel isn’t about doing it all—it’s about becoming aware of who you are and who you’re traveling with. When you embrace your spiritual personality type—and honor the differences—you unlock trips that transform rather than exhaust.
The conflict isn’t in the differences but in ignoring them
Intentionality: The New Way To Travel
Old-school travel says: Life is short, cram it all in.
Intentional travel says: Slow down, notice more, experience meaning.
Ocean Springs, Mississippi, taught me this paradox with crystal clarity. I went as the Curious Traveler (ENTP)—spontaneous, playful, always ready to kick down fences and see what’s on the other side. My travel mate Leigh Ann, the Kindly Traveler (ISFJ)—loyal, grounded, attentive to details—thrives on tradition and order.
We should have collided. Instead, we fell into rhythm. Why? Because we honored each other’s personality types instead of resisting them.
A Stroll Through Ocean Springs
Ocean Springs is a walkable small town, were women founders thrive and you’re greeted with kindness around every corner. Here, even drivers pause with a smile, yielding to pedestrians as if time itself isn’t in a rush. The town breathes art and authenticity: pottery glowing with earth tones, glass shimmering like water, jewelry whispering stories of local artisans.
It was in the Walter Anderson Museum of Art that our differences (me the Curious Traveler (ENTP) and my travel buddy, Leigh Ann, a Kindly Travelers (ISFJ) disappeared. I darted between exhibits, curious to see everything. Leigh Ann lingered at a single watercolor, studying it as though it held the wisdom of a lifetime. She grounded me. I lifted her. Together, we saw Ocean Springs through two sets of eyes instead of one.
That’s when it struck me: travel harmony is not sameness—it’s a dance between opposing elements: air and earth, spontaneity and structure, curiosity and kindness.
Compatible travel isn’t about doing it all—it’s about becoming aware of who you are and who you’re traveling with
My adventure with the Kindly Traveler (ISFJ)
The Curious Traveler (ENTP): Breaks rules, thrives on unconventional adventures, playful, socially magnetic.
The Kindly Traveler (ISFJ): Honorable keeper of traditions, introverted nurturer, values routine, thoughtful and pragmatic.
At first glance, they’re opposites. But? Those opposites complete the circle. She offered methodical planning that gave form to my whirlwind ideas. I sparked laughter and spontaneity that kept her routines from becoming rigid. We needed each other.
✦ Pro Tip: Ask your travel partner where they sit on the spectrum of spontaneity vs. structure, city vs. stillness, fast vs. slow. This one conversation can transform the entire trip dynamic.
Learn more about your travel personality type in my debut book where I explore the 16 Myers-Briggs travel personality types enhanced with a spiritual twist for more soulful and intentional getaways.
Travel harmony is not sameness—it’s a dance between opposing elements: air and earth, spontaneity and structure, curiosity and kindness
The 7 Secrets to Traveling With Different Personality Types
Name It Before You Go. Identify your travel personalities before the trip. The conflict isn’t in the differences but in ignoring them.
Blending the Differences. If one traveler thrives on schedules while the other craves surprises, balance days with structure and detours.
Give Space. Always. Solo time isn’t rejection—it’s restoration. Introverts and extroverts both need it, but in different ways.
Charge the Body. Meals are sacred pauses. Miss one and even the friendliest soul becomes “hangry.” Don’t skip a food break if you need one.
Flow with Money. Discuss budgets openly. Decide: shared pot or separate tabs. Harmony around money prevents resentment.
Celebrate Contrasts. Don’t insist your friend loves what you love. Applaud their mountain hike while you explore the art district. Share stories over dinner.
Communicate, Don’t Assume. Speak what you need. Hear what they need. The trip isn’t just about the place—it’s about learning one another, and about yourself.
Transformation Insight: What Ocean Springs Taught Us
The Kindly Traveler taught me the art of devotion—to a place, a painting, a plan. I taught her the art of release—trusting detours, welcoming chance smiles from strangers. Together, we lived the truth: compatibility isn’t sameness. It’s contrast handled with compassion.
What began as a friend trip became a mirror—a glimpse of how travel reveals not just the world, but the contours of your soul.
What began as a friend trip became a mirror—a glimpse of how travel reveals not just the world, but the contours of your soul
Soulful Travel Tip
Instead of filling your bag with souvenirs, collect moments that change how you see yourself. That is the real treasure. If you must indulge in a trinket or two, Ocean Springs has your back as they downtown is lined with fabulous retail shops that offer one-of-a-kind finds. All personality types are welcome!
When you stop trying to do it all, you end up experiencing more than you imagined
Traveling With Different Personality Types: 7 Secrets for Joyful, Stress-Free Trips
Can you begin to understand how beneficial it can be when you travel with a different personality type. You begin to recognize that travel isn’t about adding more pins to a map. It’s about uncovering the parts of yourself you left behind in the daily grind. Ocean Springs gave us art, beauty, and laughter—but what it really gave was awareness of ourselves and each other!
✨When you stop trying to do it all, you end up experiencing more than you imagined.
Discover your own travel personality type in my debut book: Unpack Your Personality: Let Your Inner Guide Be Your Travel Guide. Because the map that matters most is the one leading back to you.
Please Share: Traveling With Different Personality Types
It’s always my intention to encourage you and plant seeds to help you think differently. To tap into the unique aspects of your true self through spiritual personality type. By doing so, we can collectively raise the vibration of the planet. If you know someone—a friend, co-worker, or family member—who is struggling with self-understanding or seeking their true self, please share this post with them. You never know who might need this message today.
You can also find me on Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn. for more inspiration and resources.
Want to Dive Deeper? I Got You
If this speaks to you even a little bit, check out my podcast interview on Speaking of Travel with with host Marilyn Ball
🎧 Unpack Your Personality… What’s Your Travel Type?
👉 Listen here.
Additional Resources:
👀 For additional learning watch more on my YouTube Channel. Click here
🔖How to Embrace the Soul Self in Business: click here for the link.
🔖 How To Be True To Yourself: read it here.
📚 Or grab a copy of my debut book: Unpack Your Personality: Let Your Inner Guide Be Your Travel Guide
Travel A Tonic for Self-Discovery
Can you see why I staunchly believe that travel is a tonic for the soul? Travel offers a real-time opportunity to observe your personality type in action. It’s an enriching environment—a living classroom for self-discovery—that exposes you to diverse experiences. This encourages self-reflection, fosters personal growth, and provides countless opportunities to step outside your comfort zone.
This post offers a sneak peek into my book, Unpack Your Personality: Let Your Inner Guide Be Your Travel Guide. It’s part memoir (my story of self-discovery through travel), part introduction to Spiritual Personality Typing℠—a reimagining of Myers-Briggs (MBTI) through the lens of spiritual alignment—and part personalized travel guidebook. The idea is that all of these roads lead to self-discovery.
Please know that I curate these posts to be both meaningful and educational, designed to help you navigate the needs of your sacred personality type on the road, in business, and in life. If you’re interested in exploring your unique travel personality type, feel free to contact me me for a one-on-one travel session.
Find Yourself
Are you ready to embark on the road less traveled and join the rare 10% who truly know themselves? If you’re seeking more, I offer bespoke one-on-one sessions designed to help you discover yourself from the inside out. This is pure self-awareness—an opportunity to connect with your authentic self.
Together, we’ll shine a light on self-sabotaging behaviors and break negative cycles. We’ll also explore what brings you the greatest joy, both in daily life and on your travels.
Ready to start your journey? Let’s connect and uncover the unique path meant just for you. Click here to schedule a 1:1 clarity call.
About Spiritual Personality Typing
My goal is to shift perspectives around MBTI® personality typing—to break free from stereotypes and oversimplifications. Remember, your personality type is sacred. Your persona is just a mask.
It’s my intention that you begin to see your archetype as a sacred tool—an expression of your true self.
Of course, good things in life come to those who do the work. Take responsibility and make personality typing, infused with spiritual understanding, a daily practice. You’ll soon realize that your rational self and your soul self rely on each other to ignite a soulful meaningful life. When you fully embrace this concept, a profound awakening occurs. It moves you closer to your truth, liberating you from a purposeless existence.
You’ll be ready for any occasion, situation, or event—whether it’s travel, relationships, career, passion, or purpose. Ahh, living a meaningful life—isn’t that what we all desire?
Who Is Nina Zapala?
Hey, I’m Nina Zapala—creator of Spiritual Personality Typing℠, a new way to connect your mind and spirit so you can actually show up as your real self. My mission? Plant seeds for a fresh kind of thinking—where self-expression isn’t just allowed, it’s unstoppable.
I’m also the mind behind the (un)Brand: a soul-first, zero-cookie-cutter approach for founders who are done with branding clichés and performance games. No more approval-chasing. No more shrinking to fit in. The (un)Brand helps you show up fully—characteristically authentic, unapologetic, and 100% you.
With decades in branding, community, and cause marketing (and 300+ articles to prove it), I help women take back their identity and purpose. My book, Unpack Your Personality Let Your Inner Guide Be Your Travel Guide., is your invite to trust your gut and journey inward.
Let’s be real—someone rocks blue hair or pitches a bold idea, and most people roll their eyes or back away. My work? Burns old scripts. Instead we light up what makes you exquisitely different.
All photos Zapala – Arthur Anderson Musuem, Retail Shops Government Street, Ocean Springs, Mississippi
This article has been edited and updated. Previously published December 2020.
