Group travel makes for a whole treasure chest full of stories and experiences. From the get go you form a sense of camaraderie. Especially when it’s a small aircraft and the destination is somewhat off the beaten track. Even before you board the plane, there is an exchange of information. Who is headed to what hotel, has planned what on their itinerary and has managed to get what kind of deal. The sights to see are all the same so you know there is a good chance you will see these passengers once or twice again as your trip unfolds. But what is most interesting about group travel is that while your interaction with a larger group of people increases, you become an observer of personalities, an eavesdropper of conversations and a commentator of experiences and people.
So here’s a little of what’s in store…
If you are an empty nester like me, you are bound to find yourself traveling with a bunch of empty nesters just like yourself. When you get to that stage of life, although you may love your partner unconditionally, you are no longer constrained by the shackles of consideration. You are expressive and you love to tell it as it is. That means by now life has taught you that no matter how deep the love is, there are limits to your patience and tolerance. It’s all about mid life brutal honesty. The stereotypical nagging wife or dutiful husband game changes to dutiful partners who don’t miss a chance to nag each other. It’s almost like it’s your chance to let it out without it ending in a brutal fight because after all there is such a thing as saving face in front of others. So you both humorously let out your frustrations without getting into a fight.
Group travels often entail discussions around meal choices and meal times. When you get to the average age of empty nesters, everyone has their own set system of digestion and diet. Add to that every individual’s set of daily maintenance medicines and your head will start to spin as you try to satisfy everyone’s needs. If you happen to be having meals together then every order has to have at least one item that satisfies enough people. When the food finally arrives, there is bound to be a round of complaints before ending the meal with a round of thanks for the blessings you are served. Someone is bound to have showed up late or missed out on something or did not get enough of this or that. Thankfully more than half of all complaints stem from an empty stomach and when that’s been filled the brain signals all nerves to take rest!
Shopping is always on the list. No matter how much sightseeing you do, you are never satisfied until you have fulfilled the shopping bug. Even if you, by this age, have realized that eighty percent of what you shop when traveling ends up in your useless pile of junk on spring cleaning day, you still need to buy something. Anything. If we humans believe in the concept of monkey see and monkey do then beware because if one person buys one thing, word spreads like wildfire and somehow that product becomes worthy of purchase and before you know it everyone in the group is eyeballing what the other purchased and will inevitably go buy something similar! After all you can’t leave without a souvenir.
Lastly, when traveling off the beaten track, be prepared to step away from everything that is a norm for you. From the facilities offered where you stay to the expectations you have in your mind, there is bound to be a test of your survival skills. If you haven’t done enough homework, you will be in for some surprising and interesting experiences. The number of stars rated on the internet next to the name of the hotel you chose to the truth about the conditions in the city or region you are traveling you better be prepared for a game of true or false. You may get unlucky with hot water issues or electricity shortages. Better yet you might find yourself disconnected from the world with WiFi or data coverage. It becomes a test of your strength and will to not lose control and to find a way to be okay while being disconnected.
If there is one thing that’s guaranteed by the end of your group travel experience, it’s that you have learned a lot. Observing others can teach you so much. Strengths and weaknesses are revealed in the most amazing ways. No matter what hardships you face, being in a group makes it all the more easier. You learn to laugh it off and take things in stride. You are forced not to harp on things and learn to forgive and forget. In the end, you find yourself looking back and smiling at all you experienced and how all the little group shenanigans made the trip so special and memorable.
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