10 yrs later..we made it out of the grp chat 🇰🇷

We met in secondary school, and like every other friend group, we always said we should travel together one day. Somehow, one day kept getting pushed back — next time, next year, “see how first.” Before we knew it, almost 10 years had passed. Life got in the way with NS, uni, and work, but the friendship never really died.

Then one random day, someone actually booked the tickets. No long discussion, no overthinking — just like that, 8 of us were going to Korea.

It was also our first time travelling together as a mixed group — guys and girls. It sounds normal, but it actually added another layer to everything.

Different travelling styles, different expectations, different energy. Some people like structure, others prefer to go with the flow. Even small decisions could feel complicated.

At the start, everything felt exciting. Same people from the classroom, now in a completely different country together. But as the days went by, the reality of travelling in a group of 8 started to show.

Planning was honestly one of the biggest challenges. We went back and forth on the same places a few times, which wasn’t very efficient and ended up wasting time. There were also moments where we had to make decisions quickly, but not everyone was on the same page.

One example was a 50-minute car ride to Starfield Library. At the time, it felt like a must-visit, but when we got there, it was quite underwhelming and there wasn’t much to do after. Because of traffic on the way back, the return ride ended up taking almost 90 minutes. It kind of summed up how some plans didn’t always go as expected and also because of poor planning.

There were moments of tension midway through the trip, miscommunication here and there, and even times when some people held back what they really felt just to avoid conflict but ended up building even more tension instead.

Before the trip, we even came up with a list of “rules” to try and keep things smooth and prevent arguments. It sounds funny, but it was actually necessary.

Because travelling together really shows a different side of people — not just the fun, but also the differences.

On the last night, we finally sat down together and talked things out. What we liked, what we didn’t, the small frustrations, the misunderstandings — everything that had been building up. People spoke up, cleared the air, and if needed, reconciled.

It was emotional, but in a good way.

After 10 years, we’re no longer the same people we used to be. Everyone has changed in their own way. But maybe that night showed that even with all the differences, we’re still willing to understand each other.

The trip made it out of the group chat…

and in the end, the friendship did too.

Even though there were moments of tension and a few messy situations along the way, I’d still consider this trip a success. It was our first time travelling together — and with a big group of 8, it was never going to be perfect. But the fact that we made it work, showed up for each other, and came out of it still together says a lot. For something 10 years in the making, that’s more than enough.