I don't like people 24/7. And you don't have to either. Travel can be stressful, even if it doesn't feel like it at the time. Just because you're having fun doesn't mean other things aren't happening underneath the surface. I've been on lots of vacations that seemed cool until one day I just burst into tears. It's hard to be with people around the clock.
Whether you're traveling with only one person or several, it's not hard to find yourself snapping. Let's talk about how to deal with living in someone's pocket while on vacation.
Plan Together
Traveling is better when you do things you want to do. Planning ahead for things that sound fun can make your trip a whole lot more fun and less stressful than doing things on the fly. Ask your companion(s) what they would like to do, so you everyone is happy and you don't resent each other.
Compromise
You can't always find things that makes everyone 100% happy, which means you may have to compromise. You don't want to be mad that the others don't want to do any of the activities that you want to do and vice versa. Compromise is the key to a smoother trip for everyone.
Maybe you don't want to go parasailing, but your companion doesn't want to go hiking, and you each compromise by doing both activities, so no fighting happens. You'll both be happy with your chosen activity and might find you even enjoy the other one. Hopefully, you can find a majority of activities that you both/all want to do.
Don't Forget to Eat
I get hangry. I know it. If I wait too long to eat, I get mean and yell and threaten bodily harm to those around me. Luckily, my husband knows this and will steer me into a café or something when I start to get hungry and irritable. I also know that he doesn't always get hungry while we're out, so I do t ask him where he wants to eat, so he doesn't get angry at me in turn.
Knowing your limits and those of others can really help you to get along with each other and travel better together. Maybe have an honest talk before you take your trip and let each other know about your quirks, so neither of you are blindsided by the other.
Give Yourself Some Space
I like to get a vacation rental whenever possible, because it generally will give you a little more room to spread out. As an only child, and an introvert, I relish my alone time. Being around people for long periods can be exhausting. Even if I can just go sit in another room for a bit (or at the table on my laptop doing a bit of work), it's enough to recharge me. A lot of people don't know this or don't really think about it.
Self care is important. Even if you just go do some shopping alone for an hour or sit in the hotel lobby with a book, it's better than having to be around your travel partner longer when you need to be alone. I'm the worst morning person and being able to have 30 minutes to just wake up and read news or play a game on my phone without being talked to goes a long way to making my day start off right. That, and coffee. It's hard to say "please don't talk to me right now" in the moment, but easy to let someone know ahead of time that you need that quiet time.
It's okay to not be "on" 24/7 and to need a few minutes alone and to maybe even do your own thing for a day. Whatever works for you can't be faulted by anyone else. When I booked a girl's trip with my friend to Disney, we already had some ground rules established before leaving. Not doing so ahead of time can can actually ruin a friendship/relationship, which you don't want at all. Communication, just like in most things, is very important.
How do you survive travel with others?
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