https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/ltppodcast/7_girlsTrip.mp3
1. What are positive benefits of Girls Trips?
rest & relaxationcatching up with friendstime for self (escaping daily work and parenthood demands)Elizabeth Lombardo lists more benefits in her book “A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness“2. Why do we feel guilty about taking Girls Trips? What are other obstacles?
Mom guilt is hard to overcome but it is worth it for the whole family for Mom to get a quick rechargeMoney and time are other challengesPrioritizing self vs family or home expenses and spending money on self vs family//home3. How to overcome obstacles?
Start small – consider a driving trip that is only a few hours from home and not as costlyDivide and conquer on the tasksMake a goal to get away and budget ahead for the tripDecide how you want to split costs and track spending4. How are Girls Trips different than other trips?
Sometimes I don’t do much planning at all…it’s so rare to just “show up” as many people share the burden of planning.Less stress only worrying only about myself (and cheaper than taking the whole family!!)5. Girls Trip Favorites:
Best trips for large groups?
Rebecca – somewhere near home so more people can afford to goMichelle – a retreat hotel with a lot of variety in optionsSandy – consider vacation home rental with a lot of bedrooms and common shared spaceRebecca – Vegas (#sorrynotsorry) – recommend Priceline for good hotel dealsMichelle – Driving trips with nearby free festivals or museumsSandy – Visit friends and take advantage of some nights with no hotel; Pagosa Springs was a recent favorite near a friend’s house in Colorado SpringsRebecca – NapaMichelle – Any beachSandy – Lake Austin near Austin, TXRebecca – Chicago – recommend the architecture boat tourMichelle – Austin, Napa/San Fran, Nashville, AustinSandy – San Francisco and wine countryRebecca – French Lick, Indiana & Downtown Indy (where we get to mention riding elephants again…oh, and a biofreeze massage)Michelle – Sarasota & Epcot Food and Wine Festival (Orlando)Sandy – short cruise from Florida to BahamasRebecca – Memphis – Graceland but more seriously the Civil Rights MuseumMichelle – Trips to a faith-based conference with sightseeing on the sideSandy- Lake AustinAll time favorite?
Rebecca – MauiMichelle – Maui; Lake Austin gets honorable mentionSandy- French Polynesia island cruise including Bora BoraRebecca – Lisbon, Portugal & the Canary IslandsMichelle – Palm Beach, FloridaSandy – Asheville, North Carolina6. Parting advice on taking a fabulous girls trip?
Save a date and book well in advance; unless you pay upfront for a hotel, you can usually cancel very close to your travel dates without penaltyCreate a schedule of events with variety; make plans that suit nearly everyone’s needs and then just go with the flow – not everyone may want to do everything and that’s okAgree on a budget and secure some of the costs so you have real commitmentDon’t sweat the details – you’ll have a blast even if some small things go wrong
