You know, the ones where a group of girls come to Miami as friends and leave as enemies?
Yep, those videos have traumatized me from taking trips with my besties.
Everyone from TikTok to Reddit is trying to crack the code of these friendship breakups.
Verywell Mind / Getty
I believe it’s a mixture of both.
Remember, conflict is a normal and natural part of life.
Not knowing how to handle conflict is the problem.
Planning Ahead
Communicate, communicate, communicate!
Have conversationsbeforeyou board the plane.
Its best to get everything all out in the open sooner rather than later.
Also, be aware of everyone’s habits and preferences.
You might have friends who like to sleep in.
Take all of this into account when arranging an itinerary, so you could meet everybodys needs.
Ideally, everyone will be involved in the planningmaking decisions collectively is important!
And (!!)
plan your budget beforehand.
Assigning Roles and Responsibilities
Know who’s doing what and why.
If you’re bad at organizing but your friend swears by their Google calendar, give them the itinerary.
Similarly, if your bestie has an eye for photography, they’re the designated cameraman.
Assign every person the role and responsibility tied to their strength.
And double-check things are equal amongst the group, so nobody feels resentful about taking on too much.
The goal is to keep everyone happy with the tasks they’ve been delegated.
Planning ahead is best.
But alsotry to remain flexiblewhen it comes to creating your itinerary.
If some of you want to explore while others rest, why should that be a problem?
However, it can be good to allow for some spontaneity, too, saysDr.
It breeds collaborative problem-solving, agility, and an overall spirit of adventurewidely underrated bonding tools.
She recommends agreeing oncommunication rulesbeforehand.
(I statements, anyone?)
There are times in life when agreeing on the point of disagreement is appropriate for peace to prevail.
You may vacation in a group of three or four couples or have a mix of couples and singles.
Maybe there’s a person whose partner isnt coming along.
Regardless, couples may want some time to themselves as a two.
Couples can have a different way of communicating to groups of friends, she says.
Generally, though, I don’t think it will automatically cause problems.
Keeping clear, open communication around everyone’s expectations should help to verify the group dynamic is managed well.
Handling Finances
Nobody wants to be a downer and talk about how to handle money.
But these are conversations that need to be had.
If you’re in a non-English speaking country, attempt to learn some common phrases to make communicating easier.
If youre going somewhere new, immerse yourselves in the local culture and try things you arent used to.
If things dont go entirely to plan, don’t fret.
Its unlikely to ruin the whole trip.
You might just have to change one or two things on the itinerary.
Its best to be flexible and keep an open mind!
With that foundational roadmap in place, even the most harrowing relationship detours have guideposts for realignment.
Not everyone is a good travel buddy.
They might not like traveling or they don’t enjoy the same types of trips as you.
Stein K.Time off: the social experience of time on vacation.Qual Sociol.
