Q. My boyfriend and I and a group of our friends are all planning on spending Spring Break together. The only problem is that no one can agree on anything at all, not even on where we’re going. Every time a suggestion is made, someone else shoots the idea down. We only have a week until Spring Break to plan all of this. What should we do?
A. You should nominate yourself as the group leader, since no one else seems to be taking charge. Try to find a sensible solution to this by reaching some sort of compromise. Gather the group’s ideas and suggestions and use this info to choose a destination. Choosing a destination would probably be a great start to planning your Spring Break trip.
There are nine full days of Spring Break, including the weekends. If time and money isn’t a factor for you guys, why not go to a different destination every day? Make it a road trip. Stop in different towns or big cities along the way. Going to several destinations should make everyone happy.
Plan a camping excursion to the Smoky Mountains. Try “roughing it” by camping in a tent. The next night, stay in a cabin and spend a day looking around the town. For those in your group that want to shop on Spring Break, hit the local outlet malls or stores. Somewhere like Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge is a safe haven for the girls in your group who may be too self-conscious in a bathing suit or worried that they didn’t spend adequate time bronzing their buns before Spring Break.
After a few days of camping, plan a long drive to Gulf Shores or Destin. A few days on the beach can give anyone a stress relief from the emotional turmoil that school can cause. For the ones in your group that love the beach, that would be a good time to lounge in the sand like a bunch of lizards. For those of you who do not enjoy getting gritty sand between your toes, explore the town. There are plenty of things for everyone to do: goofy golf, watching the latest flick, going to a club or bar, etc.
It is practically impossible to get a big group of people to all agree on exactly the same thing. Make sure that you ask for everyone’s input and opinions. This is the only way to minimize the drama that may result. While at a particular destination, don’t be afraid to split off in small groups of people to do activities with someone who is interested in doing the same things. Splitting off into groups or pairs is a perfect chance for any couples in the group to get some alone time. You don’t have long to plan this trip, so start working on it right away. Make Spring Break enjoyable, instead of a stressful time for everyone. Grab a road atlas, camping gear and your beach bags and enjoy the ride!
Michelle Clark is a senior in elementary education. Send your relationship questions to [email protected].