As much as I love going solo, there is something therapeutic about traveling with friends.

When you’re one among a group of people with strong personalities and different travel persuasions, the art of keeping the peace pretty much resembles an orchestra, with somebody taking on the role of conductor to ensure things hum along smoothly and that all the musicians don’t end up driving each other crazy.

I am never the conductor of these things.

It’s a role go-with-the-flow ‘ol me veers away from. When it comes to large groups, I’ve become allergic to all things that involve planning and plotting out itineraries. On trips by myself, I pick one or two things I must do in a place (meaning, the reason for my visit), arrange that, and the rest of my days are spent coming and going and getting lost as I please. And while this works for solo travel, or with someone who shares my travel temperament, the dynamics are just different the more people you’re on the road with.

For somebody who’s grown to love going solo—it’s how I’ve been traveling the last several years—I have to say that spending this first trip to Bali with an entire gang has been really refreshing. There’s that one element you’ll find in great abundance when traveling with friends that you rarely do when you’re Miss Lone Explorer: Laughter.

Lots and lots of laughter and alcohol-laced silliness and endless conversation recapping the shenanigans of days and nights past.

There’s something to be said about shared experiences. They’re as good for the soul as a month-long trip of self-reflection. And I guess, in this particular trip to Bali, this was exactly what I needed: the “pause” after several months of restlessness and grasping for control over threads in my life that were unraveling.

Being among the herd was cathartic.

What’s your take on traveling with friends?

Drop me a line ;)