Though the excursion was difficult, and Mark Twain found various faults with the places he visited, he found just a few things in particular that made the trip worthwhile. He found new friends and traveling companions on the trip, which helped him open up in new ways. He also discovered that getting outside of your cultural bubble kills the sense of bigotry and hatred towards new people. In many ways, Mark Twain was able to gain a lot, both physically and mentally, from his time aboard the Quaker City. Twain speaks at length about his traveling companions. There were sixty-five in total, though he found himself mainly sticking with the same handful of people. When he was told of the excursion, he, just like many others, was under the assumption
