- I’ve planned girls’ trips with friends for years, but it’s been harder to coordinate them over time.
- We all have a lot going on, and many of us have kids who can be especially tough to plan around.
- Our adults-only trips aren’t going anywhere, but we now plan group trips with our daughters, too.
Since college, I’ve been fortunate to have a big, close-knit group of girlfriends — and I’ve prioritized nurturing those friendships.
I especially love strengthening our bonds during getaways, and in my group, I handle planning and coordinating the girls’ trips.
Since the ’90s, I’ve spearheaded countless getaways for our group — from raging college spring breaks (New Orleans) to bachelorette parties and divorce parties (both Vegas), to milestone birthdays (my 21st in NYC and 30th in Jamaica), to healing retreats after illness and loss.
These trips have been a great source of joy, laughter, healing, and countless memories — one that sustains us through distance and life’s tribulations.
I’m determined to keep up the girls’ trip tradition, especially as life looks different for all of us.
There are more factors to consider now that we’re adults with full lives
Dmitry Molchanov/Shutterstock
In our teens and early 20s, finding time and space for bonding was easy because many of us lived together and had few distractions.
As life has gone on, those opportunities for connection have become fewer and more difficult to coordinate. We no longer live under one roof, and many of us aren’t even in the same city.
In our group, there are big jobs, spouses or partners, ailing and elderly parents, a wide range of disposable incomes, and home projects.
For many of us, there are also kids. This element, in particular, makes it harder for people to commit to dates and make a trip happen: There’s homework to do, drop-off and pick-up schedules to coordinate, and sometimes no partner who can help.
It can be hard to prioritize time for yourself as a parent, let alone make time for a trip with friends.
A recent change of plans helped me approach girls’ trips in a new way
My last girls’ trip to Palm Springs was an impulsive overnight stay at an Airbnb oasis with a jewel box of a pool amid a historic heat wave.
My friend had intended to celebrate her anniversary with her husband and daughter there — but when he got sick, she invited my daughter and I to join for a two-generation girls-only sleepover instead.
While we hung out, our daughters (ages 7 and 10) had fun among themselves. When we all came together, we did pedicures and facials, had cannonball contests, and shared a huge tray of nachos by the pool.
This arrangement was fun and rewarding, plus it eased some of the logistical burdens involved in coordinating childcare. It also helped me realize how nice it could be to incorporate our daughters into some of our trips.
Mom-daughter trips won’t replace our old format entirely. Importantly, some friends in our group have no kids (and no interest in spending leisure time with them), and some have only sons.
Still, I’m hoping the two-generation girls’ trip flourishes as one extension of a cherished tradition in our expanded circle as life goes on.
Most of all, I’m thrilled to expose the next generation to the soul-satisfying joy of girls’ trips, a travel style that I believe nurtures friendships and supports sanity across all stages of life.
