Someone wise once said that the older we get, the more we need the people we knew when we were young.
That poignant statement strikes a chord in many of us, and the sentiment behind it does much to contribute to the popularity of alumni groups. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to find any institution today that does not have an alumni program.
However, the nature of alumni meetings has evolved considerably. No longer are people content with a single dinner or a weekend retreat. Alumni group travel has emerged as one of the strongest contenders for favorite alumni activity.
Most of us shared with friends the places we dreamed of visiting when we were younger. An alumni gathering is the perfect opportunity to make those adolescent dreams a reality. Perhaps it was one of the Seven Wonders of the World, perhaps the country’s highest mountain, or maybe just a tranquil site away from civilization – looking upon the world from a place you imagined visiting years ago with your oldest friends around you gives the experience a unique perspective.
Another favorite of alumni travel groups, particularly those of high school or college associations, is to travel to the places that were taught about in geography and history lessons. The 3,000 year old Stonehenge, Greece’s magnificent Parthenon and the eerily enigmatic statues of Easter Island are all good candidates.
Visiting these sites is a fantastic way of discovering how your perspectives, and that of your friends, has changed over the years. We all take divergent journeys in life and a travel experience like this is sure to reveal new ways of looking at the world around us. In terms of the sites themselves, will the wonder and mystery still prevail? Will setting foot on a place long dreamt of only magnify the awe it commands?
As with any type of travel, there are pros and cons with alumni group vacations. At the forefront of the latter is deciding on a destination – the larger the group, the more difficult it becomes to reach consensus.
Another factor to be mindful of is that not all earlier dreams translate as well into reality when we get older. Sometimes, opting for a destination that seemed especially exotic or exciting years before might leave you wondering what all the hype was about.
Still, the alumni group vacation can be one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling experiences and help forge stronger bonds with the people you knew when you were young. Isn’t that worth the risk?
Windy City Travel has been in business as a full service travel agency in Old Town since 1981. The staff is renowned for providing personalized service for all your corporate and leisure travel needs – including, destination weddings, honeymoons, vacations, family reunions, groups and incentives. Our corporate agents are veterans at corporate travel and our leisure agents have traveled the globe and are able to provide information, details and suggestions to truly tailor a vacation, wedding or honeymoon to meet your needs and preferences.
Call us to book your group travel today at 312.951.0710.
