April 23, 2018 | How To
Solo traveler, meet group travel
By Madeline M.
So you want to travel, but your friends can barely commit to a game night, let alone a trip. You’re left with two options: stay home and binge watch “The Office” for the 7th time, or leave your friends and have the time of your life.
Go with option two.
It might seem scary to travel without your friends, but it’s one of the best things you can do.
The most obvious reason is because you’ll actually be traveling. You’ll see, eat, smell, and pet things more beautiful than your Instagram can do justice.
And the second reason, even though it might feel unrealistic…you’ll find a new squad.
Courtesy of Sara Dietschy, Belize
Assembling your travel squad
Yep. You can go alone and still be part of an awesome group. Need proof? Let’s take it back to homecoming. If you were like me in high school, your mom probably had to convince you to go to the dance with a group of other single people instead of skipping the night all together because the whole “date” thing just didn’t work out. And even though you thought it was going to be awkward or lame, it ended up being the best night ever and your friends who went with dates wished they were you.
Group travel is basically the same thing, minus the neckties and terrible DJ, plus views that are a million times better than your gym’s bleachers.
Hello, new friends
It’s pretty much impossible not to bond with someone when you travel together. You’re all looking for new experiences, trying to get out of your comfort zones, and attempting to order food off menus none of you can read. And nothing says “bonding moment” like pooling together your Euros to pay for the bathroom—because, honey, you’re not in Kansas anymore.
As you travel with a crew of adventurous people, you’ll be surprised by how many of them also left their indecisive friends at home. In fact, over 60% of EF Ultimate Break travelers sign up alone. So fear not, because even if you booked your trip not knowing anyone, you will end up finding your people when you travel.
Solo travel doesn’t equal stressful travel
So, you’ve left your friends at home and decided to travel. Now what? You have to find the hotel yourself? The flight? What activities to do? Nah. Because with EF Ultimate Break, group travel not only means you'll have your new squad, you’ll also have a Tour Director. They’re fun, friendly, and local. They’re like when you went to go visit your older sibling at college and they showed you around and took you to all the cool places and wore funky hats—yeah, your Tour Director is like that. So no planning for you. Just experiencing. And laughing at your friends back home for being so boring.
You do you
This is the time to stop worrying about what your friends back home are doing and start doing you. Because the world is awesome, and it only gets better the more you experience it. Meet new people, roll with the punches, eat foods you’ve never heard of, and get lost on purpose with your new travel crew.
C/O Sara Dietschy, Belize
So be the solo traveler you’re meant to be, with the group you’re meant to be with.
Where should you go, you ask? Here are some solo traveler favorites:
Do you have any of your own stories from signing up solo but traveling with a group? Tell us in the comments!
