Vacations are always nice, let's be honest. It's a time where we can look forward to total relaxation and still experience new sights and activities. Though attending vacations with family is always a special instance for making loving memories, it's the memories that we make when we go to these different places with friends that are completely unforgettable.
Here's the 35 stages of going on a vacation with friends as told by the best group of women who know how to have the most fun:
1. The date is set, travel arrangements are planned, and the place is booked!
That first initial excitement when all of your friends are actually on board with the idea and put their down payments on the travel expenses is always indescribable. Now the idea of doing anything and everything with some real awesome people, either on the beach, or in a city, or out in nature, is a reality.
2. You sit down with friends that you know, know how to party to discuss these vacation plans.
You guys are researching the area you're staying in and looking at the scenery and iconic things to do there, and you're already inserting yourselves into situations you know will happen once stepping foot out on the scene.
3. The car or plane ride there.
Whether you're packed in a car with four other friends, and luggage, and stuck in the back middle seat, or have to go through airport security and deal with annoying plane delays or people on the flight, getting to your destined vacation spot is never a fun time.
4. Upon arrival, you and your friends are in awe with all that's about to come.
You guys walk into the place you're staying at and a joyful noise unveils over the surroundings.
5. Settling in and designating bedrooms.
Whether you guys have booked a hotel room, or a house, or a condo, you're going to want to room with those specific friends you know are on the same level and mentality with you when it comes to deciding what to do with a week of vacation together.
6. When you decide to finally put on that bathing suit.
You may have hit the gym months prior to your vacation date or you may have not even bothered. Either way, most vacations require us to be walking around in bathing suits 24/7 and that's fine with you because you're just trying to get that nice tan and enjoy time in the water. You'll still feel comfortable too because you're around the people you trust the most.
7. Let the shenanigans begin!
Immediately after everyone gets situated with their belongings, the first thing to do is toast to the next several days.
8. There's that one friend at the beach in charge of music.
And they're getting really excited by what the resort chooses to put on or what comes up next on their vacation playlist.
9. There's always this friend at the pool.
They take a pool float by the reigns and refuse to move from that spot all day.
10. Then there's always the friend that decides to remain in the sun all day.
11. Of course, it's always nice to just catch up with friends in such an amazing atmosphere.
Catching up with friends about their personal and professional lives is always a good way to spend time with them, especially throughout the day. Everyone has busy schedules and it's always good to break from that with people you care about once in a while.
12. The afternoon hits, and some friends may be beginning to feel themselves.
Easy and normal actions and mannerisms begin to become more and more challenging as you guys go inside to refill your cups.
13. You always get a little jealous of that one friend already having too much fun.
14. Getting ready for dinner begins to feel like a huge inconvenience.
Though it is a necessity, that shower after being outside all day long and that decision on which nice outfit you want to wear out tonight is quite the nuisance in this current moment.
15. When you're at dinner but you just want to get home and get this night going already.
Though eating right now will only be your friend for what is about to come later in the night, you can't help yourself from getting all anxious and excited about the events to come.
16. The bar scene is exactly what you thought it would be.
Loud music, a big crowd, lots of drinks; what more could you have asked for!?
17. Your friends don't do a good job hooking you up with someone else.
Being close friends means you guys try to be great wing-women as well. However, sometimes your valiant efforts can fail when you do a poor job of picking out a compatible person that your dear friend can like.
18. Hiding reactions, even in front of complete strangers, has been lost.
Whether it's an annoying person doing a poor job at getting you to like their company, or an obliterated girl making a fool of herself in front of an entire crowd of people, we no longer have the ability to control the truth of our initial reactions right to their face.
19. Texting and communicating with people back at home is never a good idea at this time.
Whether it's a lover or even just a friend, the most ridiculous thoughts and spelling errors will be occurring when trying to have a "legitimate" conversation with them at 1 a.m.
20. For that friend that can't dance, but continues to do so anyway.
There will always be one friend that always busts out the funniest dance moves, and they're completely serious about it too. We don't ever tell them to stop though because making fun of them is the best part!
21. The "we're going down together" mentality.
As it gets later and later in the night, you and your friends start to realize you need to hold on to each other the best you can and never leave a man behind in order to stay alive.
22. Rounding up the squad and trying to get home.
Counting heads to make sure nobody has gone missing somewhere and clumsily getting out of the building and into the car is always an experience in and of itself.
23. The continued "party" back at home.
No matter how happy and joyful everyone looks throughout most of the night, we always have at least one friend that ends up crying over literally anything when the alcohol has fully set in and emotions are running rapid.
24. But the "distraught" friend will somehow always manage to play it off.
"I don't know why I'm like this right now," "I'm really a fun person, I never do this." Just some of the common phrases heard when asked of the friend why they are in tears right now.
25. The friend who is just saying the most random things.
They're literally just starting conversations based on the first person, place, or thing that pops into their head.
26. The friend who can just be a little too rambunctious to deal with at the moment.
This friend can probably get a little too aggressive and/or loud. Their drama may seem a bit annoying and crazy to deal with as well, but of course that's what we love about them.
27. The friend who feels the need to pick a fight right now.
This friend has just lost their filter and they're laying out everything that's been on their mind about everyone in sight.
28. The friend who just became so defensive and sensitive out of nowhere.
They'll just get a little angry and astonished when a little joke is said about them; like don't tell Katie she needs a new set of pants when she's in this state.
29. Eventually the time comes for everyone to call it a night.
It's been a successful day of lounging, eating, drinking, going out, and spending a significant amount of time with your friends, so you all deserve a nice restful break for a few hours.
30. The next morning will always bring about badgering early-risers.
Come on, if you're going to bed at 4 a.m., you can't expect everyone to be bright, and chipper, and ready to go by 9 a.m. Most people's bodies just don't work that way.
31. But then there will be the friend that takes sleeping-in to the extreme.
After all it is vacation and it's not going to last forever. You and your friends need to take advantage of these days and not just sleep them away!
32. When the hangover hits hard at breakfast.
You don't even know how to digest all this and people right now.
33. When the stories from last night begin to unravel.
Embarrassing texts are read, crazy videos are watched, and intense discussion goes on around the table about each and every crazy thing everyone did last night.
34. That one friend who wants to "take it easy" tonight.
There will always be that one friend you'll have to convince to come out again tonight and engage in more fun activities throughout the day because they're too tired from last night and just want to relax. But this "friends vacation" is not meant for doing nothing fun!
35. These sequence of events just repeat everyday thereafter, but you're not complaining.
Though these stages of a vacation with friends seems insane and tiring, it will be an experience you all will certainly never forget or regret!
