• Most of my travel over the past decade has been to visit friends and family.
• To me, this approach to travel is easier, cheaper, and more fulfilling.
• I enjoy seeing my loved ones' favorite places and helping them explore their cities in new ways.

A few years ago, my partner and I took a trip to Southeast Asia and didn't know anyone.

Although we undoubtedly had some great adventures together, it was exhausting trying to figure out everything on our own, from the best things to do to how to get around.

That trip made me realize just how much more I enjoy the kind of travel I've been doing for the past decade — using most of my vacations to visit loved ones in places like Los Angeles, London, Seattle, Melbourne, Chicago, Monterey, Washington, DC, and more.

In addition to saving money on hotels, traveling this way gives me everything I crave from a vacation: exploration of a new place, quality time with people I love, and a certain amount of ease.

I love getting to see a city through my loved ones' eyes

One of my favorite things about traveling this way is that it gives me insight into my loved ones' favorite things about their cities, like coffee shops, restaurants, and parks.

We get to build memories together, and later, when we're catching up from afar, I'll know some of the places and people they're talking about. I think it's special to be able to picture my friends and family members in their homes and haunts.

I often get to enjoy incredible experiences I never would have found on my own, too — like when my former coworker who lives in Melbourne invited me to her friends' annual bike bar crawl.

And sometimes, I even get to help them discover new parts of their cities. For instance, during a trip to Colorado, my friend and I took my aunt and uncle to a local magic show they'd never heard of. They both loved it and said they'd have to bring future visitors.

I typically plan some of my own activities and have frank conversations about scheduling and boundaries

I always try to make it very clear to my host that they don't have to entertain me the whole time I'm in town. Before I arrive, I usually ask about their work schedule, existing plans, and if they need me to leave the house at any point during the day.

I also do some research and try to pick one or two things I want to do while visiting. Then, I'll either invite my loved one to join me or let them know I'm happy to venture off on my own if they need some alone time.

Doing so has led to some incredible solo adventures. During my trip to Melbourne, for example, I joined a multi-day tour group along the coast of Victoria since my friend had to work during the week. It was great to have the opportunity to explore freely without relying too heavily on my friend during my visit.

I still go on other trips, but this will always be my preferred way of traveling

There are places I'd like to visit one day where I don't have anyone to stay with, so I'll definitely continue to plan travel that doesn't involve visiting friends and family.

However, I don't mind spreading those out further so that my annual trips can be focused on my loved ones.

I find more meaning in seeing the wonderful people in my life than the wonders of the world — but this way, I get to do both at the same time.

• Bumble is gearing up to launch a new version of its friend-making app, Bumble For Friends.
• Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said BFF is a "long-term growth" opportunity for the company.
• The dating app company also outlined its plan to "return to growth."

Bumble isn't giving up on helping people find and make new friends.

In fact, it's doubling down on Bumble For Friends (BFF) and gearing up to launch a new version of the app in August, the company announced during its second quarter earnings call.

Bumble's CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, said the BFF app is "one of our most exciting long-term growth opportunities, especially as demand for friendship, real-world connection, and belonging continues to grow."

The new version of the BFF app is built on Geneva, a community-focused social platform Bumble acquired in 2024, as well as Bumble's safety infrastructure, Wolfe Herd said. She added that this version will combine "one-on-one matching and events, with community features to quickly follow, designed to help people build real friendships offline."

Bumble acquired Geneva for about $17 million, according to an 8-K filing from July 2024.

Wolfe Herd said BFF is a "big priority" for Bumble Inc., which is primarily known for its dating app.

"I cannot tell you how excited and how convicted we are in this future," she said. "The organic demand for Bumble For Friends, particularly from Gen Z women and younger millennial women, is extremely exciting."

Friend-making apps have been having a moment, too. Startups like 222, Pie, and Timeleft are trying to corner the in-real-life (IRL) market by setting people up with strangers or connecting them with communities in their city.

"We are a leading friendship app in the space, and frankly, we're the only one in the dating space that has a friend finding feature at scale, so this gives us a real competitive edge," Wolfe Herd said.

Meanwhile, Wolfe Herd got real about Gen Z on Bumble's earnings call.

"I think there's a bit of a misconception that Gen Z is some completely different species that doesn't think about love and connection the same way most of humanity does," she said.

But the qualms Gen Z feels toward dating apps (such as swiping fatigue, feeling judged, fears of rejection, or safety concerns) are "the same issues that everyone has struggled with online love," Wolfe Herd added.

Getting Bumble back on track for 'growth'

Bumble reported a 7.6% year-over-year decline in total revenue, with second-quarter revenue decreasing from $268.6 million in 2024 to $248.2 million in 2025. Total paying users declined 8.7% YoY, the company reported.

"Four months ago, I returned as CEO of Bumble and reset our strategy for quality over quantity across the whole business," Wolfe Herd said. "We've taken decisive actions over the last quarter. We've removed over $100 million from our cost base by streamlining operations, restructuring headcount, and shifting to a more efficient organic marketing engine."

Bumble in June announced plans to lay off 30% of its staff.

The company's changes outlined during Wednesday's earnings call are part of Wolfe Herd's plan to position Bumble for "a return to growth."

Bumble also announced the appointment of Kevin Cook as CFO, who was previously CFO at data software company Cloudera.

Meanwhile, Match Group, which owns Tinder and Hinge, reported earnings on Tuesday, shining a light on the latter app.

"Simply put, Hinge is crushing it," Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff said on the company's earnings call. "Hinge's success should put to rest any doubts about whether the online dating category is out of favor among users."