Going with your friends on a journey can take your friendship to new heights. You’ll have shared experiences and memories that will always live with you. Maybe you’ve tried traveling with friends before, maybe you aren’t friends with them anymore? Here’s how to successfully plan and execute a trip with your best buddies.
Group Activities
Once you’ve picked your destination, plan on doing a couple of group activities together – a welcome dinner, a group outing, etc., but leave everything else flexible. You want to enjoy the time you plan together without feeling like you’ll be spending every waking moment with your closest pals. Never underestimate how easily people can get on your nerves if you are always waiting on them or you’re stuck around them 24/7.
Master Planner
Don’t be stuck being the decision maker or planner of the group. You will feel like you are taking a bunch of high schoolers on a tour group herding everyone and it won’t be a nice experience. Go back to the basics of doing a few things together, set hard time expectations and let the chips fall where they may. If you tell your friends you are leaving for dinner at 5pm and they aren’t there at 5, go to dinner, period. You don’t want to hold grudges and put your trip on hold because of someone else.
People Pleaser
You want to do things together that you and your friends will enjoy, but don’t feel pressured to appease everyone. Traveling and being away from the comforts of home can be hard and sometimes people’s ugly infant sides come out. Everyone is an adult and can take care of themselves. Invite people to join in what you were already planning on doing if you want company, but don’t let them hijack your plans. Similarly, if people aren’t interested in what you want to do, that’s okay. You’ll meet up with them at the pool later.
Tricky Transportation
If you are arriving by plane, you and your friends will most likely be arriving at different times. While it’s great to try to figure out if people can share a cab or Uber to and from the airport to save some money, you’ll be more interested in saving your friendship by not getting too hung up on this idea. Making people wait around or going back and forth to the airport all day isn’t fun for anyone – everyone will be a better mood for the small price difference.
Alone Time
Most importantly, give yourself some alone time. Even if it’s walking down to the hotel gift shop or taking a solo walk on the beach, it will save your friendships and give you a little time to recharge.
Traveling with your friends can be a lot of fun – but also carries the potential to be high stress. Set boundaries so you’ll be able to take on anything – even when you are sharing a room with Alissa and her night terrors.