group of friends meeting in the city center. they are having fun with smart phones and walking togetherDo you know why every “barkada” outing is unforgettable? Nope, it’s not because of the destination per se. The long car ride and some smooth music, yes, but there’s more to it. The answer? Your friends’ different (sometimes clashing) personalities.
Think about it. If your super spontaneous friend didn’t tell you to go off the road and turn off Waze, you probably wouldn’t discover that breathtaking falls in Quezon, and you wouldn’t have that wild cliff diving Instagram pic. It’s the very character of people in every barkada that makes trips colorful and fun.
See here if these personalities match you or any of your friends in your squad.
The Initiator
This person is the reason barkada trips are planned in the first place. It usually starts with them leaving a Facebook link of a seat sale promo or a cheap local tour package. They’re also the ones quick to search for more sights to see in the destination to make sure that the trip is well packed with activities.
If you’re this type of friend in the barkada, you need tools for your planning. At the very least, you should have on your phone the holy grail of DIY travel apps. If you’re more of the local traveler, you must have contact numbers of Manila companies offering vans for rent. And remember, when you have too many ideas on the itinerary in your head that you want to share, use Google Sheets, friend.
The Tita/Tito
You’re very familiar to this friend, the one who always has necessities in their bag. Need meds for the “biyahilo”? The tita/tito has it. Need chips because you’re bored? The tita/tito will serve it right away. Want to wipe off that cheese from chips in your fingers? The tita/tito has wet wipes, sanitizer and alcohol.
You can count on this friend for everything. If you’re not the tita/tito in your barkada, hug them and thank the heavens for letting them in your life. Don’t ever take their kindness for granted.
If you’re the tita/tito though, embrace it and commit to it. Start with having that signature oversized tote bag. You’ll need it for the outing essentials: meds, soothing ointments, crackers and candies, suki cards and credit cards, and of course, the classic fan and umbrella.
The Fun Peeps
These include the adventurers, friends who always make you try new things, the drinkers, the ones who are always on the lookout for the booze and the loud music, and the hopeless romantics, friends who want to find love in the middle of a mountain trek or in line for the bungee jump.
The adventurers are usually the people who clash with the uptight initiators or the planners, but the drama would soon fizzle out, with one of them conceding to trying (or not trying) a new thing when the other bribes. The drinkers take over the music in the car, often playing loud beats that drum up the whole body. It’s all good. It makes the barkada pumped up for the ride. The hopeless romantics are kind of just the go-with-the-flow people. After all, their mantra is to find love in the unlikeliest of places.
Every barkada has these personalities—and this is what makes trips one for the books. So, what’s your barkada like? Who’s who in your squad?
