Not only is it a riot, science says traveling with your friends is even good for your health. Traveling with friends is important!
• Why do it: Sorry kids…trips with your best girlfriends are often the most fun. Everyone can take care of themselves, the pressure tends to more low-key and laughing so hard you pee your pants is way more fun than traveling with a two-year-old who might pee their pants just for the heck of it.
• How to make it easy: If there’s a flight involved, pick a place with a lot of direct options. If it’s an annual trip, take turns making the destination more convenient. Depending on where everyone lives, you could also select a place that’s roughly equidistant. All within a few hours’ drive of
Dubuque? Go! Sure, it’s not exactly sexy, but with a fun group, just about any destination will be fun.
• Where to stay: This is the perfect opportunity to rent a house or apartment. In a hotel, a group vacation feels disjointed. It’s fun to cook together, lounge in the living room, drink your coffee on the patio. When people want to go to sleep, they may retreat to their room while everyone else can keep hanging out in the main areas.
• How to level it up: Sign up for a group experience ahead of time. Whether it’s wine tasting with a driver (much more enjoyable that way!), a group yoga class or hiring a tarot card reader, it’s nice to have a few things in place so you’re not constantly needing to make decisions in the moment. Nothing worse than constantly having the “I don’t know, what do you want to do?” conversation.
• Fun idea: Ask everyone to bring a favorite product or treat for a gift exchange. It doesn’t have to be fancy. I love learning about the products my friends are currently into—anything from lip balm and books to awesome socks or their favorite locally roasted coffee. That way, you can bring home a little souvenir that reminds you of your favorite people, not necessarily the place you visited.