Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Why You Should Go Solo on a Group Travel Trip with Modern Adventure

Any kind of travel — whether it’s halfway around the world or just to the other side of town — has the opportunity to change you. It’s obvious when you think about a major trip to another country: You go through different government’s customs, eat different things, surround yourself in a different language, and generally reflect a lifestyle different than your own. However, a trip to the other side of town can also be transformative, even if you don’t necessarily experience a different culture.

sam slaughter italy
Sam Slaughter/Instagram

It’s in those moments of transformation that you are able to see who you really are. Can you successfully navigate a foreign city’s transit system or will you end up a mess, screaming at Siri to just translate the G-D signs for you? Can you share a glass of wine with a total stranger and revel in the slight alcohol haze that overtakes you or will you buy a bottle of whatever and avoid all eye contact? Whatever path you choose, you’ve learned something about yourself in that moment, no matter how small the thing is.

It’s these moments, too, that are becoming more and more important to millennials. It’s been shown time and again that millennials prefer experiences over stuff, which is where a company like Modern Adventure comes in.

Modern Adventure is a concierge travel service that works with tastemakers in all facets of culture (food, fitness, et cetera) to prepare and execute customized trips that showcase specific places and offer experiences that you’d be hard-pressed to be able to accomplish on your own

For the company’s first trip in summer 2018, Modern Adventure tapped award-winning chef Joshua McFadden, the chef/owner of two Portland, Oregon, restaurants — Ava Gene’s and Tusk — and author of the James Beard-winning cookbook, Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables. Over the course of seven days and six nights, those on the trip explored not only the rich history of Italy— from the Coliseum in Rome to il Duomo in Florence — but also indulged in the gustatory and oenological delights that the country is known for (they do one or two things right). While that would be enough to carry any normal vacation, Modern Adventure went further than that.

In addition to wine and olive oil tastings, lunches at Roman staples, and dinners at resplendent restaurants, the curated expedition featured a visit to a sheep farm to see how cheese is made and what was perhaps the crowning moment of the trip: a multi-course meal prepared by McFadden (and his former sous chef Jacob Brenner, who happened to be in the area while traveling), who gathered all of the ingredients in locals markets then cooked them on the grounds of an abbey that was constructed in 1180.

Eleven-freaking-eighty.

Beyond anything you can eat or drink, Modern Adventure’s experiences offer immersion in the culture of a place. Whether it was taking part in a guided tour of literally anywhere in Rome (you could close your eyes and point and find yourself face-to-face with millennia of history) or paddling the Arno River and floating underneath the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, guests were offered an intimate and exclusive look at Italy.

That sounds great and all, but you’re probably asking why we said at the beginning that you should go solo on a group excursion. Well, you don’t have to — travel is always fun when you have someone whom you know by your side — but you may be surprised by the opportunities that arise when you’re on your own.

Why You Should Travel Alone

  • You’re going to a foreign country, what could be more adventurous than meeting a bunch of strangers in a place you’ve probably never been before?
  • Those strangers we mentioned above? Sure, it would be great if they all liked the exact same things as you, but it’s just as fun (if not more fun) to be in a place with strangers, learning in hypertime about them as you’re simultaneously learning about the place you’re in.
  • In a time so seemingly dependent on networking, who knows who you are going to meet? With so many different people, the possibilities are almost endless.
  • If you need it, you’ve still got alone time.
  • When you get back, no one can correct any of the stories you tell if you decide to go the rogue route and just make stuff up (though, with a tailored trip like the ones Modern Adventure offers, you wouldn’t have to).
  • Finally (and again), because why not? Seriously. If millennials are all about experiences, forge your next adventure in a way you’ve never done before?

The cost of Modern Adventure trips vary and include most of the meals and activities, but not the airfare. Upcoming trips include “True Cambodia” with Deana Saukum in March 2019 and a women-only trip to the Greek islands with fitness pro Lacey Stone in September. For more information about Modern Adventure or to sign up for a vacation, check out the company’s website.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
10 smoky scotch whisky options to make those fall campfires magical
Our favorite smoky scotch whisky brands for late-summer drinking
Campfire whisky

The end of summer is barreling toward us like a pumpkin spice-fueled locomotive. Depending on where you live, you’re likely already seeing some signs of fall. The leaves are beginning to change color, the days are getting shorter, and Halloween candy is already on grocery store shelves. Fear not, even with the eventuality that is the end of summer, we still have until September 23 to enjoy all that the season has to offer. For us, it means as many backyard campfires as possible before the weather grows colder. It also means we only have weeks left to pair our fires with a glass of warming Scotch whisky.

Nobody will blame you for complimenting the smoky fire by drinking a complex, non-peated single malt Scotch whisky. For those confused about the spelling, most of the world omits the 'e' when referring to whisky. You also might be wondering the difference between Scotch and whiskey. Well, in the simplest terms, Scotch is a kind of whisky (Americans and the Irish still use the 'e'). So that should put an end to the Scotch vs. whiskey debate once and for all.

Read more
Berries going bad too fast? Try this amazing viral TikTok hack that actually works
This viral TikTok hack shows you how to keep your berries fresh for up to 10 days
Mixed berries

Berries are a fan favorite in the produce section. These juicy little delights are a vitamin-packed fruit that's great for baking, snacking, making fruity cocktails like sangria, and even brightening up your weekend charcuterie boards. If you're someone who loves berries, you know how frustrating it can be when they start going bad too quickly.
But worry not! A viral TikTok hack has been making waves online, promising to keep your berries in tip-top shape for longer. We'll walk you through how to keep berries fresh using this amazing hack that actually works.
Say goodbye to wasting money on spoiled fruit, and hello to spoiling yourself with fresh, juicy berries whenever you want!

How to keep berries fresh with water and vinegar
Berries tend to spoil quickly due to their high water content, delicate texture, and the growth of mold and bacteria between them in their store-bought produce cartons. Exposure to moisture, heat, and air can also accelerate the ripening (or spoiling) process.

Read more
Take a break from pumpkin beer: The best Oktoberfest beers to drink this fall
These delicious drinks are perfect for crisp fall days
Pint of beer

There are at least a handful of holidays (especially drinking centered holidays) that many drinkers don’t really know the true origins of. We know these are special days in which we drink tequila and Mexican beer (Cinco de Mayo), Irish whiskey or dry Irish stouts (St. Patrick’s Day), and giant pints of malty, refreshing German beer (Oktoberfest). And while we’ll get into the other two when the time comes, it’s Oktoberfest’s time in the spotlight.

Oktoberfest is more than simply a day to wear your grandfather’s lederhosen, drink Marzen, eat schnitzel, and listen to oom-pah music. It’s a two-week festival (the actual party is in Munich) that’s celebrated each fall to remember the wedding of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810.

Read more