A Little Girl Time: Traveling with Friends
Traveling with Friends can be a lot of fun as long as you have an itinerary, have figured out in advance how you’re going to handle meals, and have established a few rules.
By itinerary, I do not mean scheduling every minute of your time away from the day-in, day-out grind. But you and your buddies should map out a few activities before you arrive at your destination. If you’re heading to the beach, and there’s an outlet mall close by, you might plan an afternoon of shopping for bargains. My oldest friends and I usually decide on what we want to do after we decide where we’re going and where we’re staying. When we went to Asheville, seeing Biltmore was a no brainer. We also hit a Flea Market. When we went to Memphis, we scheduled a spa day, ate dinner on Beale Street, and went for Sunday brunch at the Peabody Hotel. When we go to the beach, we’re less structured. We spend some time walking along the shore and swimming, but we also plan indoor activities. We play board games—our favorites are Scattagories and Pictionary—and we rent DVD’s.
Before you head to the airport or get in the car for your girls’ weekend, establish how you’ll handle meals. How many meals will you eat in your rental? How many dinners out? Will you split the grocery bill, or should everyone get their own food? Who’s going to the grocery store when you arrive and what’s on that list? My friends and I usually shop together and split the bill. I bring a few things necessary to my existence that I don’t expect them to chip in for, but I am happy to share—coffee. I like to grind my own dark roast beans. Communication is important—especially if some friends have to watch their pennies more than others.
And speaking of communication, if you want everyone to get along, you’ve got to set a few rules. If people want to do stuff off itinerary, discuss that it’s okay to say “no.” If someone is sleeping in the loft, maybe the TV blaring from downstairs needs to turn off at midnight. If people bring food or drinks they don’t want to share, then they need to tell everyone those items are off limits.
What trips have you taken with your friends? What have you learned about traveling with friends that you’d like to share?
By itinerary, I do not mean scheduling every minute of your time away from the day-in, day-out grind. But you and your buddies should map out a few activities before you arrive at your destination. If you’re heading to the beach, and there’s an outlet mall close by, you might plan an afternoon of shopping for bargains. My oldest friends and I usually decide on what we want to do after we decide where we’re going and where we’re staying. When we went to Asheville, seeing Biltmore was a no brainer. We also hit a Flea Market. When we went to Memphis, we scheduled a spa day, ate dinner on Beale Street, and went for Sunday brunch at the Peabody Hotel. When we go to the beach, we’re less structured. We spend some time walking along the shore and swimming, but we also plan indoor activities. We play board games—our favorites are Scattagories and Pictionary—and we rent DVD’s.
Before you head to the airport or get in the car for your girls’ weekend, establish how you’ll handle meals. How many meals will you eat in your rental? How many dinners out? Will you split the grocery bill, or should everyone get their own food? Who’s going to the grocery store when you arrive and what’s on that list? My friends and I usually shop together and split the bill. I bring a few things necessary to my existence that I don’t expect them to chip in for, but I am happy to share—coffee. I like to grind my own dark roast beans. Communication is important—especially if some friends have to watch their pennies more than others.And speaking of communication, if you want everyone to get along, you’ve got to set a few rules. If people want to do stuff off itinerary, discuss that it’s okay to say “no.” If someone is sleeping in the loft, maybe the TV blaring from downstairs needs to turn off at midnight. If people bring food or drinks they don’t want to share, then they need to tell everyone those items are off limits.
What trips have you taken with your friends? What have you learned about traveling with friends that you’d like to share?
Labels: Maureen Hardegree, vacationing with friends
posted by Mo H @ 9:23 AM
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