Vacation with Home Friends vs. Vacation with Abroad Friends

I've just returned from vacation, and boy am I exhausted.

You'd think a vacation would replenish me, but travelling with friends from your adopted country, as opposed to with friends from your home country, can wear you out. Let's look at the differences:

Vacation with friends from Canada: eating, sleeping, and partying habits are known and predictable; no alien food preferences; communication is easy.

Vacation with friends from Spain: meals are at strange hours - 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 10 p.m. (or later for dinner); dinners are small; many times your group includes people you've never met before; friends want to eat Spanish food typical of the region; it's difficult to talk 24/7 in another language. 

Following locals can lead to cool places...

...like this isolated beach...

Vacationing with people from your adopted country involves risk, if you've just moved from home. It's intense sharing a flat and a car with other people you don't know well, especially when there's a language barrier. I learned a lot of Spanish, and most of my travel buddies spoke slowly for me, but there were times I was so mentally exhausted that I'd shut down and not say more than one thing per hour.

...and this one, too.

Do I recommend it? Of course! Just be sure to listen to yourself, and take time away from the group should you need it. Also, if there are people who speak your language, utilize that when you're tired.