Ok, if we count them among our friends, it is because we love them to the stars. But having a three-week vacation with them does not guarantee paradise on Earth, on the contrary. Habits, rhythms of life, character, financial participation... To prevent our week in Port Leucate from turning into a fight and getting back to work without friends, it is better to observe a few rules before leaving for the great adventure.
Far beyond any sentimental consideration. The choice of the lucky ones to share our three weeks of relaxation is PRI-MOR-DIAL because it determines the stay.
1/ You don't only go with couples if you're single. Otherwise it's forced aperitifs with mobile home n ° 8 to settle with Jorg the Dutchman and evening analyzes to tell us that we reproduce the same pattern with the guys from the terminal. Needless to add that by "couple" we also mean the borderline, who, on the verge of breaking up, will pour out his problems after the sixth Pastis.
2/ You don't go with a stingy friend either. José pinches her on holiday with several people, it's a bit like Gérard Jugnot who would do a striptease with Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper. He's the intruder. And an intruder who is sure to ruin our three weeks of relaxation:"well, we don't have to have a restaurant tonight, there's still ham, Boursin and Théo's Mister Freeze" / "25 euros the two hours of pedalo, that makes a meal for us guys. Finally, I say that, I say nothing. Pffff…
In short, we surround ourselves with those we know perfectly well, with whom things run like clockwork and with whom we share common values in order to avoid tension peaks when you want to take a breather in Vendée.
We are not talking about the destination. The yoyo weather still passes, even if it's more fun to live in shorts than in K-way. Here, let's focus on the tribe's home structure. Space is important, that's how it is, it's science:SPACE =PRIVACY. We are about to live together like mussels stuck to the rock, so if we could use the quiet Emile toilets without having the impression of pooping in the dining room, that would be better. Not so obvious since the size of the house we rent inevitably depends on the means of each one, but if it is possible, we let go. Ditto for the mobile home. Temporarily cohabiting with 8 people in a small cube is a risky sport. The first being to collect (the wooden plank) the sofa to unfold to sleep and to have to find a place between the grains of sand and the breadcrumbs. The second being to never be alone wherever you go.
Tssss! Easy. The Amish do it hands down, you can do it for three weeks. Teuteuteu, not necessarily. Because you're going to have to put your ego a little aside, realize that you're not alone, do things with others but not waste energy by tweaking everyone's habits ("you explain to me Why do you store bread in the microwave?!”). Group holidays imply that we think of team, that we think of comrades, that we think of community. This implies in particular, a slightly less regular regularity at the Barathons until the early morning, if friends have come equipped with children. Extremely delicate also to invite Jorg the Dutchman to flirt with us in our room (if only for the chaste ears of little Theo). It's all about adapting and respecting your neighbor.
Community okay, but doing everything together no. We signed up to leave in colony mode but it's still OUR holidays and our break. We don't have to go to the market at 9 a.m. when we dream of losing by the pool while reading our (Guillaume Musso) Zola. We balance between collective activities and solo activities and we maintain our independence to have (really) the impression of enjoying the holidays. Without that, we can't stand each other anymore and we end up putting Febreze in Martine's Guerlain because we're exhausted.
In addition to saving us a lot of time when we take it easy in the four corners of France or the world, it avoids us the conflict with the machete after each meal. Because the dishware that piles up like the Tower of Pisa, we know. The bowl of Chocopops in the sink for 3 days, too. With the dishwasher, no more investigations to find the heretic who hasn't touched the sponge since his arrival. No more chomping at the bit by frantically scraping the pan. We organize tricks to empty it, we take care of the clever ones who are absent when it's time to clear the table to go and check the prog' of the Miss Camping evening and that's it. Same for housekeeping. Everyone does it to avoid having their flip-flops stuck to the kitchen floor.
The tricky question. It remains taboo and we dare not talk about it. Except that it can turn everything upside down and turn our month of August into an ordeal. Everyone sees noon on their doorstep in terms of finance, but the kitty remains one of the simplest and most practical tips. We avoid the debts of 1 euros 20 for the Pim's of the Super U that our cop's bought yesterday at the tea party and the test of the receipts to reimburse the one who advanced the races ("Juju, you still owe me 6 cents" ). Everyone puts in from the beginning (we finance in proportion to the number of people (cf children)) and we add as and when necessary. In the case of holidays with friends but where everyone rents a mobile home or a gîte for example, you can make a reserve of money which will only finance the common evening meals. In the end, the ideal is to have a little post-departure meeting, just to put everything in order and leave with peace of mind.
It's up to you to complete! Tell us all the precautions you take before going on vacation with your friends!
