30 isn’t that old. It really better not be that old because I’m fast-approaching it and am very into my youthful looks and ways. But….30 is when a lot of things start to change. Not just your body (but that will happen, too) and your thought-process – somehow staying up until 5am drinking jagerbombs doesn’t seem so appealing – but your time. People will have most likely started settling down, getting married, and maybe have popped out a child or two. That really screws up the scheduling plans and soon you’ll be making events just to see your friends for dinner or drinks. Everyone’s lives are busy and trips get way harder to take with friends. Especially these trips. Take these vacations before you turn 30:
Vegas
…except make sure you’re not sober. I went to Vegas when I was still 28. That sounds like a great number to go and party and have a great time, and it is! We went for my fiance’s and his friend’s 30th birthdays…they had a blast. I had…well, I had an experience. I still had fun and am glad I went, but it’s definitely not high on my list of places to go. Do the Vegas Trip when you’re still in the party mode, and definitely make sure you aren’t sober due to prescriptions at that time. Let loose and get wild because even though it’s Vegas, no one wants to see a 40 year-old dancing on the bar.
That Crazy Party-Up all night until 4am- Rolling into a cab and vomiting in the hotel sink Type of Trip
I don’t think I’d make it through the night if I pulled the type of shit I did in Brazil right now. Or, be able to stomach mixing a Jagerbomb in my mouth in the middle of the street in Germany. The hangover is worse, the tolerance is lower, and seeing someone in their 30’s getting absolutely sloshed outside of a convenience store is….unappealing. While I don’t condone getting black-out white girl wasted while abroad (safety reasons), letting lose while you’re exploring the world can be so much fun and leave you with a lot of stories…and commemorative pictures.
Traveling for a Month – or More
I ended up taking half a semester off in University just so I could go on a month-long journey with my friend. Sure, part of the reason was because I had had enough of school, enough of being poor (somehow, I thought spending more money traveling would help), and just wanted to do something with my life. Luckily, it worked out because I grew as a person. I learned about myself, about what I could handle (and what I couldn’t) and ended up refreshed and ready to go for the following year. The poor thing still got me (traveling is not cheap as we all know), but it somehow didn’t matter anymore.
Take this trip before you’re 30, better yet, try to take it before you’re 25. It’s much easier to leave a cashier job than it is to leave a career you’ve worked so hard for. Flexibility fades away the older you get as family obligations pop up, weddings invitations arrive, and schedules don’t mash up.
A Solo Trip
I haven’t actually gone on a full trip by myself. My friend has gone to Bali and India by herself, ready to see the world and what is has to offer. No need for fellow travelers. I think that’s really brave and wonderful and I’d love to do it. And, I sort of have. My first true abroad trip was in high school; I squeezed myself into the french group of kids and joined them on their trip to France. No, I didn’t know anyone (save my one friend who was barely an acquaintance at the time). No, I didn’t know a lick of french. But, I had an absolute amazing time and that’s where I fell in love with Paris. Since then, I’ve jumped at the chance of going on a trip anywhere and ended up on a flight, alone, from Winnipeg to Belo Horizonte. In case you’re googling, that travel time is about a loonnng 24 hours. While traveling solo to meet up with a friend in Brazil isn’t the same as spending weeks depending on only yourself, it can still be scary. Traveling for 24 hours by yourself to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language opens up your mind and shows you just how vulnerable – and yet strong – you are.
The Girls Weekend Road Trip
Traveling abroad and seeing all kinds of different culture is amazing. It’s heart-warming, eye-opening, a truly wonderful experience. But, just a simple girls weekend away camping, or across the border is the best. There’s something about being in a car with your friends (not for too long, mind you) that is just part of the whole experience. Road trips, though, are meant to be done in your 20’s – NOT in your 30’s, 40’s, etc. Everyone can hop in a car with their family and see the country, or carpool to a nearby city at any age. But, the true road trip experience, complete with barely enough money for gas but always enough for liquor, is best done in your (early) 20’s.
