Plan a Weekend Getaway with the Girls -- You Won't Regret It

Photo credit: David Boyle/Creative Commons

Few things feel as good as spending a couple of days relaxing with friends. Especially when, in real life, conversations are more like snippets truncated by, "He hit me!" and relaxing means collapsing in bed with a stack of mail.

I have been going on a girls' weekend for five years now, and I don't plan to stop. It all started when three friends and I decided to go back to our college reunion. The reunion was interesting, but the girl time was incredibly satisfying. We decided it had to be repeated.

The next year rolled around, and we managed to agree on a date, sweet-talk our husbands into taking over, and say good-bye to the kids for 48 hours.

We don't meet in spas or faraway beaches. Since we are spread across the country, we just visit each other (which also helps keep costs down). One year we went to see Molly in L.A., the next year it was New York City, where both Kate and I were living, and last year it was Melanie's Washington, D.C.

We usually just wander around, eating, talking, shopping, talking, sight-seeing, talking, getting our nails done, and talking. Sometimes we go see something like a play or a movie, but the problem with that is that is that we can't talk.

In the end, it's not really important what we do, as long as we don't have to wipe down counters, make lunches, or put people in the thinking spot.

And one of the best parts is that -- once we've had time to be the people we were before we had kids -- we get to experience that wondrous feeling of being reunited with our family.

Tips for Planning a Girls' Weekend

1. The women involved don't have to be your best friends

Although I knew the three women in my group at college, we keep in sporadic touch. We don't have to be soul mates -- the important thing is that we enjoy each other's company.

2. Plan way ahead

Everyone is busy and gets busier. Block out a date three to six months in advance.

3. Don't feel guilty

It doesn't help anyone to feel bad about leaving, or worried whether your family will get by without you. Enjoy every moment, from the feather-light solo travel to waking up when you wake up. Your kids will have a great time bonding with dad, your husband will appreciate you more than ever, and you'll come back feeling refreshed and ready to jump in again.

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