This year my husband and I celebrated 13 years of marriage, and this month my eldest child turns 12. To say there have been few opportunities to focus solely on myself would be an understatement. It’s something that I acknowledge is necessary for my own mental sanity, yet I find it difficult to balance; specifically when it comes to the guilt associated with saying that I need time away from the ones I love most.
Listen closely because I’m here to tell you to take the girls’ trip!
I finally did it this past weekend and can’t wait to do it again. My good friend married her longtime partner during COVID, and because of the timing, she missed out on many of the traditional celebrations surrounding a wedding. Now that she’s expecting her first baby girl, she decided to celebrate everything at once, so away we went. The bonus is that she is also my sister’s best friend.
I’m 40 years old, and this was my first ever weekend away with my sister! I credit this to not meeting until I was 25 (a story for another day), but this was a weekend filled with such joy for many reasons. I can’t help but feel like I am on cloud nine.
I went into the weekend, eyes wide open, being the eldest in the group and the only one with kids. I was excited to spend the weekend with smart, fun, and like-minded women.
We checked into our Airbnb on Friday night, settled in, grabbed some dinner at the local brewery, and returned to hang in the hot tub. We had loose plans for Saturday, including a short hike to the falls close to the house and some shopping in nearby New Paltz.
If you know me, you know I heard “short hike” and went, “Yeah, ok,” and rolled my eyes, knowing my sister was behind that agenda item. But I decided to pack a sports bra and some hiking shoes and go with the flow, and boy, am I glad I did. The hike we took was grounding and beautiful. It bonded us through our shared love of nature, tiny mushrooms, and the sound of running water in the distance. 
We eventually found a natural swimming hole that a different bridal/baby party was climbing out of. Talk about a coincidence! The water was clear and beautiful and smelled so refreshing. We hadn’t worn our bathing suits but decided to jump in.
Pushing myself way outside my comfort zone, I stripped down to my sports bra and underwear and jumped in the ice-cold water. I didn’t want to let the moment slip by and regret not jumping in.
I didn’t want to let my insecurities get the best of me. I allowed myself to live in the moment and get out of my head. It was refreshing, both literally and figuratively.
We headed back home and grilled homemade pizzas on the outdoor grill and dressed as various versions of Harry Styles, per my friend’s request. We played board games, listened to music, drank a bit too much, and giggled until the middle of the night.
On this girls’ trip, no one was bugging me for a snack, fighting, or asking me 212 “why” questions. I was able to decompress and have fun being me. Being away from my family for the weekend made me appreciate them more when I returned home and vice versa. The kids were able to have some quality time with their father while also realizing that they appreciated their mother (for at least a few minutes).
I had no idea what to expect going into this girls’ trip, especially not knowing some of the guests, but I am so glad I went. I went with the flow and made new friends. I’m already looking forward to the next one!
