You Go, Girl: Take That Ladies’ Trip!

My best friend and I just got back from a week’s cruise to Alaska’s Inside Passage. It was luxurious and frivolous, and we completely deserved our 10 days away.

However, feeling like I “deserved it” was not my outlook before we took off. I was uncharacteristically nervous, jittery, and worried about leaving my husband and two sons for such a long stretch. I knew my husband could handle it — he can handle anything — but my mommy guilt was getting the best of me.

Did I really deserve over a week away? Wouldn’t my extended absence make me a bad mom?

I assured my boys over and over how much I’d miss them and think about them every day. Their response: “Okay, Mama,” accompanied by epic eye rolls. I wrote my husband detailed lists mapping out each day so I could still micromanage from afar. I did all their laundry, cleaned the whole house, and bought all the groceries for when I’d be gone. I was proving to them — but to me, mostly — that I was still a good mom despite my upcoming maternal truancy.

I had terrible stomach cramps the first few days of our trip. It surprised me because I hadn’t experienced somatic symptoms of anxiety in years. I guess my anxiety was so high it cut right through the effects of my beloved Zoloft. Thankfully, I became less nervous the longer I was away.

My calls home to check in were met with mumbled, quick responses from my kids who were too busy having Fun Daddy Time (Nintendo! Trips to Frankie’s Fun Park! Complicated LEGO builds!) to want to talk to me. I guess everyone was doing okay.

A Break From the Mundane

Ten days free of cooking, cleaning, and wrangling my children allowed me to return with more energy and a more positive outlook in general. It was the recharge I needed to be a better mom and wife. My sons survived (even thrived) in my absence and I powered through my fears of leaving them.

Getting to spend all of that quality time with my best friend was so special. We were able to have long, uninterrupted conversations over dinner and go on some amazing excursions that would’ve been less enjoyable with kids in tow. Traveling with a good friend allows you to concentrate on building, reviving, or deepening your friendship. We don’t always prioritize nurturing our friendships when we’re busy working and raising kids, but it feels so good when we take the time to do so.

I encourage you to take a break from your everyday life, set aside your anxieties, and get out of town with a good friend or group of girlfriends. If financial or childcare issues are a barrier, enjoy a few hours with a friend close to home. It’s not so much about the location or activity, but who you’re with that matters.

Taking a vacation with your partner and kids is so much fun, but sometimes the vibe of a ladies’ trip is medicine for your soul. You deserve it, Mama!

Ideas for a Ladies’ Trip

Here are some ideas for a ladies’ trip I’ve taken in the past, and ones I’d like to take in the future . . .

Eco-Tourism

• Swim with manatees in Florida. This is an incredible bonding experience.
• Hike and go ziplining in Costa Rica. What an adventure!
• Staycation option: Kayak Charleston’s waters with Barrier Island Eco Tours or Coastal Expeditions.

Budget-Friendly Ideas

• Off-season oceanfront hotel or Airbnb in Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head Island. Stay in, watch movies, cook dinner together, and play games. Doing ordinary things in a different location is more fun.
• Go camping at a South Carolina State Park.
• Staycation option: Walk the Ravenel Bridge and grab lunch afterward.

Relive Your Lost Youth

• Enjoy a zoo or aquarium, sans kids. The Georgia Aquarium and Jacksonville Zoo are great and within driving distance.
• Take your friends to where you and your family vacationed when you were a kid. Explore your old haunts and make new memories.
• Staycation option: Race go-karts, play arcade games, and go mini-golfing at Charleston Fun Park.

Feeling Debaucherous?

• Dance the night away at the bars on Broadway in Nashville. Wear a white veil and stage a bachelorette party to really blend in.
• Vegas. Enough said.
• Staycation option: Pick a hot spot on King Street, strap on those dancing shoes, and plan to take an Uber home because 40 is the new 21.

What are some of your ideas for a great ladies’ trip? Comment below!