Can adults still make meaningful new friendships? We’re arguing, yes. Group travel with SurfYogaBeer helps travelers build genuine connections, expand their social circles, and form lasting friendships — proving you’re never too old to meet your people.
“No broke boys, no new friends?” Yes, but also–no.
The idea that we’re “too old” to make new friends once we enter adulthood is something we’ve all heard and maybe have even said ourselves. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Work, exhaustion, routines, familiar social groups, or not knowing how or where to meet people are just a few reasons building genuine, in-real-life connections can feel harder as we get older. But harder doesn’t mean impossible. It just means we need to be more intentional about putting ourselves in environments where the right connections can happen.
While there are plenty of ways to expand our social circles, group travel has become an increasingly popular way to step outside our routines, share new experiences, and connect with like-minded people along the way. If you’ve ever felt like making friends gets harder with age, group travel — especially with an active and social travel company like SurfYogaBeer — is here to prove that the “no new friends” era has been greatly exaggerated.
Skiing in Chamonix
Human connection is more important than ever
Despite being more digitally connected than ever, people are reporting higher levels of loneliness and disconnection in real life. A survey conducted by Harvard Graduate School of Education about the loneliness epidemic found, “People between 30–44 years of age were the loneliest group,” and “among 18–29-year-olds, the rate was 24%.”
73%
of people surveyed said technology contributes to their loneliness. Swipes on a screen can’t replace the inside jokes that come from being out in the real world together.
In an age of technology and AI, prioritizing our relationships feels more important than ever. Swipes on a screen or chatbot interactions can’t replace the human connection we actually need, or the inside jokes that come from being out in the real world together.
Nicaragua travel: Wig night theme party
So, how do we meet people as adults?
The answer often comes back to how we used to do it. Think about how most of us made friends growing up: school, sports, clubs, college, and first jobs. We were constantly surrounded by people in similar stages of life, sharing experiences.
We also approached friendship differently. As kids, we weren’t worried about whether someone already had enough friends or whether introducing ourselves would feel awkward. We led with curiosity and maybe even less overthinking.
Then adulthood happens. Suddenly, we’re settled into routines, working remotely, or spending most of our free time with the people we already know.
The older I’ve gotten, the less likely I am to accidentally stumble into new friendships. The friendships I’ve made in adulthood have formed because I intentionally put myself in environments where meeting new people was part of the experience.
And that’s where group travel enters the chat.
Belize travel: Boat day with new friends
Why group travel works
The reason group travel works so well for friendship-building is that it recreates many of the same conditions that helped us make friends earlier in life. You’re stepping outside your comfort zone together, bonding over wipeouts in the surf, sweating together during group workouts, sharing family-style meals, pushing each other to the end of a steep hike, and embracing your inner child by dressing up for a festive theme party.
Every friend you’ve ever made was once a stranger, too.
For some people, that might sound intimidating. Traveling with strangers for a week? Fair questions. But here’s the thing: every friend you’ve ever made was once a stranger, too. There are no established cliques, no awkward networking vibes, and no pressure to fit into an existing group dynamic — just a group of cool people doing cool things together.
As a seasoned group traveler myself, I’ve met some of my best friends by joining group trips. After trialing nearly a dozen group travel companies in my adult years, I can say with confidence that not all are created equal. The reason I keep coming back to SurfYogaBeer group travel isn’t the destinations. It’s the community I’ve gained.
The best group travel companies understand that people aren’t just booking a trip; they’re looking for experiences, community, and connection. Sometimes that means coming home with great memories, and sometimes it means coming home with that plus a best friend — as was the case for Courtney and Dara after meeting on a SurfYogaBeer trip in Croatia.
Croatia travel: Group fitness before a day on the sea
This is what group travel actually feels like
If you’re still wondering whether meaningful friendships can really come from a week-long trip, hear from the travelers who’ve lived it. After her second trip with SurfYogaBeer island-hopping through Palawan, Philippines, Jenn shares:
“I don’t say this lightly — my Surf Yoga Beer trip to the Philippines was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced! You leave not just with memories, but with a true sense of belonging — to nature, to the people you met, and to the SYB community as a whole.”
And she’s not the only one. As someone who’s joined seven SurfYogaBeer trips, I always get in my feels reading reviews like Jenn’s — because some of my closest friendships started exactly the same way: by booking the trip.
blink-182 had it right. “What’s My Age Again?”
The real answer to “What’s My Age Again?” is: it doesn’t really matter here.
Group travel with SurfYogaBeer doesn’t have age restrictions. While most people who join trips are in their late 20s to early 40s, with some in their 50s, the common thread isn’t age — it’s mindset.
I’ve met travelers who arrived solo and left with friends they now visit across the country (and beyond visa checkpoints). I’ve watched group chats stay active years after a trip ended. I’ve seen people attend weddings, celebrate milestones, tackle Hyrox competitions together, and reunite for future SurfYogaBeer adventures.
As SurfYogaBeer alum Hannah puts it:
“SYB is doing something right. Honestly, I didn’t know if all the reviews could be real, but I genuinely made lifelong best friends and incredible memories. The people were AMAZING. The trip was action-packed… Would 10000% recommend to anyone. Don’t think, just BOOK THE TRIP.”
So, are you “too old” to make new friends? Not even close. If there’s one thing group travel has taught me, it’s that meaningful friendships can happen at any age. Sometimes it just takes focusing less on the birthday candles on the cake and more on putting ourselves in the right rooms and places where genuine connections actually happen.
Travel with us, change your life.
SurfYogaBeer runs social and active adventures year-round. Your next best friend might already be booked.
