Image by docman via FlickrI've never understood Girls’ Weekends. I just don't get the “hanging out with girlfriends, lying around watching movies and drinking until 2 a.m.” thing.
Don't get me wrong -- it sounds like a good idea. I've even tried it a time or two. My sorority sisters orchestrated a Girls’ Weekend for my 40th birthday. We went to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and it was wonderful! We ordered margaritas all afternoon, took naps and watched the sun rise. I appreciated the effort to help me relax and celebrate my birthday, but would I do it again? Probably not.
I marvel at my friend Laura every year as she prepares with endless excitement for her official Girls’ Weekend. She and her BFFs have been doing it for more than 15 years, and plans for the next city are set a year in advance. As she describes her agenda, I secretly wish I could get as excited about going away with my gal friends. I love them, really! I enjoy dinner, working out or chatting with them. But as much as I travel for business, the only place I want to be when there's downtime is with my family.
So what does this have to do with a blog about teens? As I write this post, I’m sitting in a Chicago hotel watching my fourth movie of the weekend, after enjoying a long, late lunch preceded by a stroll down Michigan Avenue. It's been two days of shopping, relaxation, leisurely discoveries and candid conversations. All the ingredients of a Girls’ Weekend . . . but with two females under age 16. What I thought was just a weekend away with my two daughters apparently has a different name. It wasn't until I heard my teenage daughter tell her sister, "I just love our Girls’ Weekends," did I realize that I do, too.
Don't get me wrong -- it sounds like a good idea. I've even tried it a time or two. My sorority sisters orchestrated a Girls’ Weekend for my 40th birthday. We went to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and it was wonderful! We ordered margaritas all afternoon, took naps and watched the sun rise. I appreciated the effort to help me relax and celebrate my birthday, but would I do it again? Probably not.
I marvel at my friend Laura every year as she prepares with endless excitement for her official Girls’ Weekend. She and her BFFs have been doing it for more than 15 years, and plans for the next city are set a year in advance. As she describes her agenda, I secretly wish I could get as excited about going away with my gal friends. I love them, really! I enjoy dinner, working out or chatting with them. But as much as I travel for business, the only place I want to be when there's downtime is with my family.
So what does this have to do with a blog about teens? As I write this post, I’m sitting in a Chicago hotel watching my fourth movie of the weekend, after enjoying a long, late lunch preceded by a stroll down Michigan Avenue. It's been two days of shopping, relaxation, leisurely discoveries and candid conversations. All the ingredients of a Girls’ Weekend . . . but with two females under age 16. What I thought was just a weekend away with my two daughters apparently has a different name. It wasn't until I heard my teenage daughter tell her sister, "I just love our Girls’ Weekends," did I realize that I do, too.
By Maria Bailey
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