It’s come to that time in the academic year where the countdown to final deadlines and end of year exams are no longer tucked away behind that comforting hill of Christmas; you’re starting to roll down it and you’re picking up speed pretty quickly. So why not book a holiday; something for you and your other half, a calm getaway for you and your family or, most likely, a big session with your mates. As more and more cheap holidays begin to surface, lads and lasses holidays are gaining popularity, particularly during the summer between leaving sixth form/college and going to university. But are they simply a brilliant way of letting of some post-exam steam and a passage into adult life or do they cause more chaos than they’re worth? Time to investigate…
It’s true, lads and lasses holidays are brilliant for young people wanting to have a taste of responsibility – looking after themselves, going out when they want, and doing what they want. Just ask one guy I interviewed who stated that: “Before I went away I’d never had to actually think about food… my mum always cooked for me and I’d never made a meal. My lads holiday helped me to get over that and many other things such as getting things organised.”
It’s fair to say that these lessons are very important, and most parents would agree with the principle, if not the setting of these lessons. Malia, Magaluf, Ayia Napa, Zante; all have their individual reputations but generally are viewed as being a haven for booze obsessed Britons who enjoy excessive drinking to the point of collapsing, throwing up and many other common consequences. Many come back with stories bordering on crazy, so is it a question of we’re just taking it all a bit too far? Tommy Germaine said of one incident during his holiday: “I was walking back to the hotel with a mate when another of our mates [in a different hotel] came bombing down the road on his quad, off his head. As he saw us he lost control and started heading towards a wall; when he realised he quickly turned the quad to the left, causing [the quad] to almost topple on top of him. Mad, and a very close escape!” It’s silly incidents like this that worry parents the most; however are these just examples of life experiences/mistakes to learn from?
Also consider that for many, a lads/lasses holiday can lead to the break-up of a relationship, be it because one partner doesn’t trust themselves with the influences they are sure to encounter, or because one partner believes they can trust themselves, realise they can’t, the other partner finds out and the rest is self-explanatory. Good thing? Bad thing? It all comes down to personal preference in the end. Maybe that one-week buzz and high is worth your relationship, or maybe you’d rather go and enjoy yourself with your mates and maintain that long-running relationship. Either way there are still other dangers and issues to consider.
One anonymous holiday goer sums up the argument in one smooth statement: “Well, we had a brilliant time to be quite honest with you – all of the lads together. And it was an ideal send off for us all, but so many mad things. On the last night we were out, oblivious to the fact that two blocks away a young lad had been stabbed and later died. Jokes man.”
It’s safe to say that lads and lasses holidays are a fun passage into a more responsible life and a chance to spend some quality time with those friends who may be heading off into different directions. But with such danger around almost every corner, just hope that you’re one of the lucky ones, or rather, ensure that you’re one of the lucky ones.
Image Sources:
http://metro.co.uk/2011/01/03/sun-sex-and-suspicious-parents-tuesdays-tv…
http://www.yuppee.com/2013/05/11/ayia-fing-napa-a-few-tips/
Edited by Luisa Parnell