Traveling in a Group Vs Solo Travel

Tomorrow I will be embarking on a road trip from Champaign, Illinois to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The total trip time (without accounting for breaks) is estimated to last just under 18.5 hours. Accompanying me on the trip are 3 college friends.

This is not a typical travel adventure, but rather a vacation. There isn’t meant to be an immersion in culture instead, it is a trip to kick back and enjoy the great weather and company!

How I Expect this to be Special:

This trip will be extremely different from my first-ever solo trip to Vietnam!

Traveling alone ensured that every decision I made was my own. From getting a cup of egg coffee at Cafe Dinh, a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, to spending hours chatting with people across different bars, there was autonomy throughout the trip, far more than I had previously imagined. This ensured that every second of the day was up to me, from what time I left my hostel, to whether I walked down a street or not. The smallest moments, the biggest attractions, and everything in between were decided on the ground in a matter of seconds. Being alone forced me to break my introverted walls and draw meaningful conversations and relations that have carried beyond the short time I was in Vietnam.

Traveling with friends, particularly people I am close with will be an interesting dynamic. Our bond should make each of us comfortable to tell the others what we want to do while being considerate of what everyone could enjoy. While this can inhibit me from doing things I may want to do, it will also open opportunities to experience things I normally would not. That is what I believe makes traveling with others enticing - the place you’re in no longer has 1 set of eyes and there is no longer a 1 track approach to a day - everything is looked at deeper and analyzed (not necessarily literally) further.

Positives of Traveling with Friends:

Given my recent experience in Vietnam, I am excited at the prospect of future opportunities to travel by myself and find out more about who I am and a place from a lens that is truly and selfishly mine! While I will always be a huge proponent of solo travel, traveling with friends does have a lot of positives.

1. Perspective – The overall approach, the way you spend time at a certain place, and the ultimate outlook you have. All of those change with every person you travel with and have an unknown impact on the way you view a destination. When alone, we tend to be narrow-minded and picky about where to spend our time and what to explore. Traveling with others compels us to look at things in different ways.

2. Safety – There is a feeling of comfort and security you experience when in a novel environment but, accompanied by familiar people. A group is less likely to face trouble unless it’s self-created.

3. Companionship – Many things are simplified when you have a group of people with you.

· Food: One of the best things you can do in groups is ordering a variety of things from a menu and sampling the lot! This is particularly useful in places with diverse local cuisine.

· Photography: One of the biggest drawbacks of solo travel is – You have no one to take pictures of you. In Vietnam, I struggled with the language barrier and the poor photography skills of strangers. This will hardly ever be an issue with friends.

· Costs: Splitting costs is a great benefit, especially when intercity travel is involved. Many times taking a taxi or renting a car is unavoidable and having others with you is a great way of minimizing those costs. Many multi-traveler deals and discounts can be capitalized on.

4. Planning – The lowest point of traveling alone was not having anyone to discuss what was coming next. There was no one doing the same thing as me, and I could get excited about what the next day was going to hold. Traveling with friends will allow for buzzing conversations about what our next steps will be!

5. Reflection – Solo travel undoubtedly creates an atmosphere of mindfulness and introspection. You have all the time to analyze your actions and understand your reasonings. While group travel can be a bit more rushed, and you will likely have less free time that does not mean that you cannot reflect on your actions. The way you interact with others and find a successful balance will show you how you react and mesh in a different environment. Introspecting on different dynamics and unique situations can show a different side to whom you think you are and whom you come across as.

How I Intend to Make the Most of this Trip:

Spring break college trips do not come often, as there are only 4. They are even more special when you are a senior and have never gone on a typical spring break vacation. My past 3 spring break travels have been: 2020 flew me home to Mumbai (A pandemic through the wrenches into a California trip), 2021 we did not have a spring break (instead Illinois generously bestowed 3 non-instructional days upon us scattered across the semester), and 2022 took me to NYC and Washington D.C.

As this is my first and last ‘real’ college spring break, I want to experience it to the max. Naturally, as I write this, I am cognizant of the fact that I am traveling with a group and hope that this is an enjoyable vacation for everyone.

· Going with the flow – For the most part, I want to go with the flow. Some of my friends have been to Florida before and they will surely have a better understanding of what’s cool and what’s not.

· Making time for myself – This may sound odd for a group trip but, I believe that it is necessary to (on occasion) spend a short amount of time alone. The best times to do this is in-between activities or early in the morning before everyone is raring to go. Some ways I intend to do this are by:

o Sitting in a coffee shop

o Reading/Writing

o Going for a walk

o Lounging on the beach

o Doing something the others may not want to (does not matter what that is)

· Take it slow – This Fort Lauderdale trip is a vacation. There will not be a lot to explore or any significant sites to see. Instead, it is a relaxing break during a busy college semester. Either, by myself or with others I want to make time to enjoy the place I am in for what it is. That was something I thoroughly enjoyed amidst the chaos of Vietnam. I hope to replicate fractions of the emotions and atmosphere by soaking it all in.