Organizing Your First Tour-De-Friends
Life has gotten so busy that it has become harder than ever to actually hang with your “crew,” which is a total farce. We all need bonding time with our friends or we’ll go so insane; our brains could literally start to melt and then drip out of our ears. And I’m not just talking about grabbing some after-work drinks because, when it comes to some meaningful bonding, that just won’t cut it. The only way you can really, truly connect with your mates is to go on a tour-de-friends. Yup, I’m talking about hitting the road.
Of course, there’s probably a part of you that is thinking: bachelor party. But that’s not what I’m getting at. What I’m suggesting is far more worthwhile. Forget everything you’ve seen on modern-day beer ads, Hooters commercials, and Judd Apatow movies because a bit of friend-on-friend time doesn’t have to live on these (hilarious) extremes. No. A great tour-de-friends needs more than just a bunch of your closest pals with carry-on bags. It requires a bit of preparation.
So, without further ado, here are a few rules to going on a trip with your friends and achieving the one-on-one time we all need to be better humans.
Start Off Small
If you’re planning your first friends trip, you don’t need to go big. In fact, three to five is the ideal number of people in terms of logistics, accommodation, decision making and actually catching up with one another. Chances are, your group will grow organically year over year. But for the first few years, try and keep the same group and faces. It will make these trips so much more awesome.
Roll With The Choices
No one likes being part of an endless WhatsApp chain, but it’s one of those necessary evils every trip needs to endure. So just roll with it, make it known where you want to go, and then when you’ve all settled on a location, start planning. Assign roles, do research, book flights, hotels, restaurants, and activities and get it all planned.
Getting Drunk Is Overrated
The aim of a tour-de-friends isn’t to get sloppy doing shots each night, get kicked out of strip clubs, or spend each morning wallowing in regret. This is your chance to hang out with your friends, having amazing conversations, laughing, cooking, heading out on excursions in your bamboo cay shirts and making memories you will remember, all of which requires being a little sober. Get the beers in and something stronger for a nightcap, but remember you’re adults.
Put Your Phone Down
Nothing kills real conversations faster than that glowing screen forever lodged in your hand. It’s so distracting, tearing your gaze away from the conversation going on like it’s the one ring to save them all. Put your phone away. Organizing your first trip isn’t easy. It has cost a lot of money, even more in family favors, and a stern look from your boss, so make sure you are in the moment and not wasting it on your phone.
