How to Travel with Others and Keep Your Sanity

As you’ve probably noticed, our blog took a longer than usual hiatus while I, Veronica, was on holidays in sunny California. I wanted to thank Ashley for keeping up with it despite my abandonment.

I can understand how people would much rather travel on their own than with someone. When you’re on holidays with friend, spouse or other, you’re constantly trying to placate the other, making sure their needs are met before your own. As good and fun as that may be, as a fellow traveler, keep this in mind: you’re responsible for your own happiness.

If you don’t speak up and communicate what your needs are, don’t be upset or disappointed when things don’t pan out they way you thought it would be in your head. You can admit it; we’ve all done it as soon as the vacation is booked. You imagine how each and every day will be like and then have the obnoxious task of fulfilling these sometimes unreasonable dreams.

My goal with each trip is to simply have fun and not stress the small stuff. I am an advocate for being prepared though. I always do a web search about the city and area that I’ll be visiting, not just for sights but for places to eat. A lot of people don’t take into consideration how frustrating it is to find a place to dine when you’re not familiar with the area.

I do recommend picking up a guide book, having something tangible in your bag while out has been a saviour each time. One of the best I find for size, helpfulness and value are the collections of Frommer’s Day to Day Guide books.

When planning on which sight to see, it’s important that you group things into at least two lists. I usually have 3: the must see, would like to see and if we have time to see. The must see list will be comprised of the places you cannot leave without visiting. This is particularly important when visiting a large city or area with many activities that you may not be able to cover given your time. And if you miss something from your list, don’t fret, you can catch it next time.

I would recommend that you check on the weather situation before packing. Just because you head south, doesn't necessarily mean warm weather. That tiny yellow, polka dot bikini might not get any use at Venice beach in December when the average beach temperature is only 18 degrees Celsius.

If you're like me and require many outfits to choose from, finding space in your suitcase can be a challenge. Having the experience of packing for month long vacations in Asia, I've learned the best and only way to optimize on space is by rolling all your articles of clothing. Don't worry about wrinkles! You can iron them out upon arrival.

Most importantly, be self-sufficient. If you find yourself with some down or alone time, make the most of it, regroup and rest up for the next exciting thing on your lists. The perfect trip should be a combination of pre-planned events with enough spontaneity to allow for unexpected, last minute fun.

Images (c) Veronica & CityGirlScapes
image o1 - Newport Beach
image o2 - Santa Monica Pier
image o3 - Balboa Pier riptides
image o4 - Fountains at Bellagio
image o5 - Mojave Desert