For many women, daily life means finding the balance of work, family, caregiving, schedules, relationships and responsibilities. A girls' trip creates a space where you can step out of those roles for a few days and enjoy being yourself among people who know you well. I ventured out on a girls’ trip to Big Sky, Montana this year, and it completely recharged my batteries.
Colleen D'Angelo
D'Angelo and friends in Big Sky, MT
Our group traveled from Tennessee, Arizona and Ohio to convene at a friend’s home up in the mountains and support Big Sky Bravery. The nonprofit’s premier black-tie event is called Fight Night and features boxing matches amidst tuxedos and evening gowns.
We joined the event to raise money for post-deployment decompression programs for active-duty special operations forces, which succeeded in securing more than $2 million dollars in donations that night.
The rest of the weekend was full of wonderful mornings in our pajamas, sipping coffee, hiking the mountains, watching for bears and dancing in our best western attire.
I returned home feeling energized by the laughter, tears, silly situations and deep conversations – a sentiment many other local ladies can relate to.
Tia Gannon just returned from her annual girls’ cousin trip to her condo in Madeira Beach, FL. Madeira is a laid-back town with water activities such as jet skis and parasails, plus John’s Pass for shopping and dining.
“It’s the perfect place to focus on ourselves and our relationships with no one needing anything from us for an entire week,” says Gannon.
The cousins always make a big seafood dinner with fish from one of the local markets and settle down with reality TV shows or rom-coms. The ladies love sealing their bond with something alike, such as the tiny heart tattoos they got one year or the matching permanent jewelry bracelets and anklets.
“It’s truly the week we all look forward to every year!” she says.
Maria Cramer-Kirkpatrick met a group of moms in 2011 who belonged to the Facebook page, “Operation Get My Body Back.” She was finding her path back to pre-pregnancy shape after baby number two, who will be 16 this fall.
What began as a fitness support group with members from all over the U.S. and Canada, turned into a motherhood support group and eventually a subgroup called “Operation Mama Talk.” The eight women in this subgroup grew to know one another better and in 2014 decided to all meet up. They hail from all over the U.S. and Canada and have traveled to Chicago, San Diego, Miami, Denver, Phoenix, Virginia Beach and San Antonio so far.
“We have shared the highest highs, the lowest lows and everything in between,” says Cramer-Kirkpatrick. “Whether I saw these women two weeks ago or two years ago, when we get together it feels like no time has passed.”
Melissa Paull has a group of six sorority sisters who were at Ohio University together in the mid-nineties. They currently live in cities from Dublin to Austin and Atlanta, but make it a priority to get together every year. Over the last few years, they have been celebrating their 50th birthdays at Rosemary Beach as Paull has a home there.
“Being together recharges my soul,” she says. “They are my biggest cheerleaders and secret keepers all rolled into one.”
Barbara Nelson
Nelson and friends
Barbara Nelson has a 20-year tradition of traveling with her Michigan elementary school friends. The oldest friendship goes back to pre-school days – 56 years ago, to be exact – and they are spread across the country from coast to coast.
“Our girls' trips began as a way to celebrate our 40th birthdays and we started in Las Vegas,” says Nelson. “We had so much fun retelling old stories, sharing collective school day memories and celebrating our long friendships that we decided to make it an annual tradition.”
Recently, they decided to experience how each person lives as a grown up, so they started visiting the cities where they all settled after college. Each friend hosts in her hometown and shows off her workplace, where she raised her children, and the best sights and restaurants of her city.
“Soon it will be my turn to bring them all to Columbus and Dublin so I can share my favorite spots,” she says.
Stephanie Brand and her childhood friends have been traveling together since 1998. They are committed to celebrating their special bond with an annual girls’ trip to fun locations such as Gatlinburg, Savannah, St. Augustine, Boston and Newport, R.I.
“We loved the Cliff Walk and mansions in Newport as well as the historical tours of houses and witch trials in Salem,” says Brand. “Even though we made new friends in college, at work and in our new cities, we all know there is nothing quite like a sandbox friend.”
Anne Hunnell
Hunnell and friends on Fire Island, NY
Anne Hunnell’s tennis friends traveled to Fire Island, NY, for the first time together in 2016. Her teammate, Blythe Brown, has a beautiful family vacation home where she spent summers growing up, and she invites her Dublin gang to share it.
The community of Point O’ Woods is an idyllic spot with no motorized vehicles, where bicycles are the primary form of transportation. Riding the ferry to the island, as there is no bridge, and leaving the real world behind is always an amazing way to start the trip.
The clay tennis courts are at the center of the community and they have an annual tournament that pits the P.O.W. locals against Brown’s Columbus friends. Hunnell proudly reports that the Ohioans remain undefeated.
“We enjoy eating out on the deck at the family table and bonding during the food preparation and cleanup stages as much as during the meal itself,” says Hunnell. “We also love fighting over who gets to use the outdoor shower.”
So, as you can see, a girls' trip isn't just a vacation – it's often a reminder that friendship is one of the most valuable relationships we have. The destination may be beautiful, but years later, what people usually remember most is the laughter, the late-night talks and the feeling of being fully seen and understood by dear friends.
Colleen D’Angelo is a Dublin Life columnist and freelance writer who has lived in Dublin for 27 years. You can find her on the pickleball court, in the yoga studio or on an airplane to international destinations. Contact her at colleendangelo1@gmail.com.
