Nicole and Steph Take On NYC: Our Top Tips for Travelling with Friends
This month Nicole and I left the comfort of our routines for the excitement of a long weekend away in the city that never sleeps! Being our first time travelling internationally together we wondered if we would be compatible when it came to jet setting because travel can come with so many pivots and unexpected turns. You never really know until you fasten your seatbelt for takeoff! Rest assured our friendship carried us through largely because we took the time to set expectations and goals for our little adventure, and it’s safe to say we’re pretty decent travel buddies. Travelling with friends can be challenging at the best of times, but throw in a delay or two and good times can go to bad pretty darn quick. So we’ve put together our top tips for travelling with friends to guide you through your next adventure.
Get on the Same Page
No matter where you and your friend are headed it’s important to have a discussion (or a few) about what is most important to each of you on this trip. What are your priorities to see or do while you’re away? It’s so important to have an honest conversation about these things so that you know what expectations the other person has for the trip. Are you wanting to shop? See a show? Hit up museums? Or maybe you're in town to enjoy culinary indulgences? Identifying what is most important to each person on this trip will help you get on the same page and have the best time!
Make a Plan
Once you know what is most important to each other, it’s time to get to planning! Start to put together a little itinerary. It doesn’t have to be spreadsheet intense like Nicole and I (unless that’s your love language like ours) but having a rough idea of what you’re doing on each day will make life a little easier. Also, remember that this is a trip with a friend, it’s supposed to be fun! Leave room for spontaneity and be flexible! In fact, during our weekend in NYC, after seeing & Juliet we had planned to go to a rooftop bar but as it turns out it was actually closed (although it was a Saturday night, which I still think is bad for business!). Nicole and I ended up in a bar with dancing in our own hotel. While we felt way too old to be there, we had a blast dancing the night away while indulging in vodka and whiskey. Sometimes the best memories come from the unplanned! Which brings me to my next point.
Go with the Flow
There are always bumps along the way when you’re travelling, especially if it’s international! So try not to stress and worry about the timing of everything and recognize that you have no control over your time when it comes to international travel. Flights will be delayed, restaurants closed, heck you might even fail at navigating a few times! This all comes with the territory, so relax and breathe through the mayhem! This is why it can be great to travel with a friend, having someone to lean on when you start to feel stressed and vice versa.
Stay Present
People go away for a lot of different reasons but you travel with friends so that you can have quality time with a person (or people) you care about and make new memories on the way. But that experience won’t be as meaningful if you can’t stay present and leave home at home. When we were on the last day of our trip we both started to feel the worries of work and life bubble up but reminded ourselves and each other that it’s ok to put that aside and enjoy a few more moments, appreciating everything you did to make this trip possible. Staying present can also be taking a step away from social anxieties. Nicole and I are lucky to have a friendship where we don’t feel like we need to entertain each other or socialize the whole time. One of our favourite moments was sitting in a cafe and reading in silence, sometimes you need quiet to make the rowdy silly moments that much more fun. No matter how you like to travel, take the time to appreciate your surroundings and the great company you keep.
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