What’s so special about a “Girls' Night Out?” Well, actually nothing when you compare it to a “girls” week away. There is something that happens when a group of women share an extended amount of time together under a single roof (or for this matter, in a 5 bedroom condominium). When you see someone in their “morning” best, without make-up, before their first cup of coffee, an instant bond occurs, mainly because they have seen you in the same fashion. There’s a code of honor amongst us girls – it’s no different than “What happens in Vegas…”
Every year we have the opportunity to spend 4-5 days of unscheduled existence with 8-10 other women. We share rooms, and sometimes, even beds. We share bathrooms, clothes, and even the food on our plates.
Our one obvious commonality continues to be love of tennis. With very few exceptions, we all play tennis together and are bonded as a team. I might add, a competitive team, but certainly not as cohesive until we became bonded as 'girlfriends'. A number of years ago, our team captain at the time, invited the team to her ski house in Colorado. Thus was the beginning of a beautiful relationship…. and, unbeknownst to her, an ongoing annual trip to her ski house.
Now, mind you, I was (and continue to be) the least able skier of the group, BUT, no one seemed to care. About 5 years ago, I was the 'new' girl of the trip, and was told that we all ski together…at the time (I know better now), I’m thinking, what great girls. We’re all here for the camaraderie, the bonding experience, no matter the level of ability. Being the 'new' girl, and the least able, I was concerned about holding them back. But they assured me that no one cared. “Don’t worry”, they kept saying, with the little flick of the hand, “you’ll be fine”. Yeah, right. Their approach was – if you can ski 'greens' then for sure you can ski 'blacks'. If you can ski 'blacks' then, hey, lets try the trees. If there’s enough powder, then any mogul-run is approachable. It was like sorority pledging. Mind you, it wasn’t 24 hours previous that they had me singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” down the mountain just to get my timing on my turns. And it wasn’t 24 hours previous that they had me visualize pedaling a bike when making my turns. But all that was a distant memory with the dawn of a new day. Is it any wonder I was sucking oxygen from a tank on the top of the mountain and then motored down by ski patrol? But, hey, who do you think was waiting for them down the mountain with pitchers of beer and margueritas, not to mention prime outside seating, slope side??? I may have been sucking oxygen an hour previous, but we were sucking beer by 4pm. Thank you very much….
That’s what I’m talking about.
That’s what these trips are all about….
Every year brings new stories, and sometimes, new people. This year was no exception. To understand the uniqueness of the group is to understand the individuals – most are married (many for over 20 years, and some as few as 12), some divorced. All with children, some as young as elementary-school age to working professionals, and even one with a grandchild. Some have children with learning issues and some with dating issues. Some with children on meds, and some with parents on meds. We have your Stay-At-Home moms and your working girls. We have your type “A” personalities, and your high maintenance issues. We have those that like to take charge, and those that just want to follow. We have those that enjoy a good glass of wine or a pitcher of beer, and those that prefer an aged scotch. We have your low-carb dieter, your non-meat eater and even the 'rack-of-ribs and a plate of fries' preferences. We have those who remember their 40th birthday as if it were yesterday (because it was) and those who can’t remember anything. We have those with hot flashes and those who enjoy the hot tub. But, with all of our differences, we all come together like a fine-tuned rock band. We may be loud, but its music just the same.
To understand the commitment to this trip is to understand the circumstances of this year’s escapades. Our plans were made months in advance, all arriving by Saturday, February 6th, with planned departures for the 10th. But Mother Nature threw us a bone…with the onset of the storm that was brewing in the East, we all diligently rescheduled for the previous day (an extra day). And, we made it by the skin of our chinny-chin-chins. Dulles Airport closed at 12:45pm. My flight had a scheduled departure of 12:30pm. Snow was becoming heavy. Flights were being cancelled. Schools were letting out early. My plane had to be de-iced on the runway just prior to take-off. What was I thinking? Any parent in their right mind would have said, “get me off of this plane. I need to get home to my family!”</em> All I kept thinking was, “take off, just take off.” If it were not for the fact that our entire crew was from Denver, I would have nothing to write about. They wanted 'out' as much as I did. When we landed in Denver, I had approximately 5 minutes (and 35 gates away) to make my connection. But not to worry, my girlfriends, who had the same connecting flight, had my back. They not only begged and pleaded for them to hold the plane, but they never boarded until they saw the whites of my eyes. That's what I'm talking about...
Everyone had a story that day. Between the re-routes, missed connections, lost luggage (mine) and pre-dawn departures, it’s become obvious just how much this trip has come to mean to each of us.
These trips represent a 'time-out' – from schedules, from childcare, from spousal obligations (whatever they may be), from work, from weekday rituals, from living within parameters, from, from, from…. It’s truly OUR time. It's our time to be silly, to be daring, to be spontaneous, to be whimsical, to be lazy, to be or not to be….and, really, WHY NOT?</strong> It’s purely therapeutic. When was the last time you spent 3 hours in an outside hot tub in 20 degree temperatures at the base of a mountain – wearing long underwear and a sports bra? NEVER??? Why Not? It was a spontaneous moment, I assure you. Do you think I would honestly plan to wear my long underwear in the hot tub for all to see??? Actually, WHY the hell NOT? The fact that I did it the following day is another story…. But the beauty of it was that we ALL did it the following day. NO ONE CARED. And, really, WHY the hell NOT? We were there to enjoy each other’s company, and no one else’s (with the exception of our newest cast member – but that was a COMPLETE aberration). How about that it was only 12 noon and we were drinking vodkas mixed with Diet Snapple and eating pretzels, gourmet pretzels. I know what you’re thinking – DIET SNAPPLE? When was the last time you drank at 12 noon (without apology or having to offer an explanation), just because you could? When was the last time you spent 3 hours in deep conversation (while in the hot tub) and didn’t have to pay for it or submit it to insurance? Of course, it wouldn’t count unless you were in your long johns! When I think about it, that was a pretty special hot tub…. But, really, WHY NOT?
When was the last time you had more wine than coffee in a given day (for 4 days straight)? When was the last time you watched the Superbowl with JUST a bunch of women? When was the last time it was just about you? When was the last time you got to watch “American Idol”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, and “LOST” back-to-back, all in one night (all previously taped)? When was the last time you controlled the clicker? When was the last time you did laundry and only had to fold your underwear? When was the last time you went 5 days without make-up? O.K., maybe that's an extreme, but the opportunity did exist. When was the last time you sat at a bar and played “wing-man” for your single friend? I think I’ve said too much…
When was the last time you made a new friend?
When was the last time you laughed and laughed and laughed, and then laughed some more? Why Not…
I’m told that its unusual for 8 women to be under one roof together and spend that much time with each other without even a scratch. My response is, that it’s NOT that it’s unusual, it’s truly SPECIAL. There's a comfort in having friends who 'have been there and done that' , knowing that whatever you are going through, understand. There's a comfort in having friends who will laugh at your jokes (its a very funny group), who will push you when you need a little 'why not' kind of push, but who will catch you should you stumble (or they think you are headed for a tumble) ....However, if they're too late to catch you, at least they're always there to help ease the pain, usually with a bottle of wine.
When we realized that our scheduled flights were not a possibility due to the second round of snow storms that leveled the East Coast, we all took charge of our own destiny – and stayed another 3 days. WHY NOT!
That’s what I’m talking about…
Every year we have the opportunity to spend 4-5 days of unscheduled existence with 8-10 other women. We share rooms, and sometimes, even beds. We share bathrooms, clothes, and even the food on our plates.
Our one obvious commonality continues to be love of tennis. With very few exceptions, we all play tennis together and are bonded as a team. I might add, a competitive team, but certainly not as cohesive until we became bonded as 'girlfriends'. A number of years ago, our team captain at the time, invited the team to her ski house in Colorado. Thus was the beginning of a beautiful relationship…. and, unbeknownst to her, an ongoing annual trip to her ski house.
Now, mind you, I was (and continue to be) the least able skier of the group, BUT, no one seemed to care. About 5 years ago, I was the 'new' girl of the trip, and was told that we all ski together…at the time (I know better now), I’m thinking, what great girls. We’re all here for the camaraderie, the bonding experience, no matter the level of ability. Being the 'new' girl, and the least able, I was concerned about holding them back. But they assured me that no one cared. “Don’t worry”, they kept saying, with the little flick of the hand, “you’ll be fine”. Yeah, right. Their approach was – if you can ski 'greens' then for sure you can ski 'blacks'. If you can ski 'blacks' then, hey, lets try the trees. If there’s enough powder, then any mogul-run is approachable. It was like sorority pledging. Mind you, it wasn’t 24 hours previous that they had me singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” down the mountain just to get my timing on my turns. And it wasn’t 24 hours previous that they had me visualize pedaling a bike when making my turns. But all that was a distant memory with the dawn of a new day. Is it any wonder I was sucking oxygen from a tank on the top of the mountain and then motored down by ski patrol? But, hey, who do you think was waiting for them down the mountain with pitchers of beer and margueritas, not to mention prime outside seating, slope side??? I may have been sucking oxygen an hour previous, but we were sucking beer by 4pm. Thank you very much….
That’s what I’m talking about.
That’s what these trips are all about….
Every year brings new stories, and sometimes, new people. This year was no exception. To understand the uniqueness of the group is to understand the individuals – most are married (many for over 20 years, and some as few as 12), some divorced. All with children, some as young as elementary-school age to working professionals, and even one with a grandchild. Some have children with learning issues and some with dating issues. Some with children on meds, and some with parents on meds. We have your Stay-At-Home moms and your working girls. We have your type “A” personalities, and your high maintenance issues. We have those that like to take charge, and those that just want to follow. We have those that enjoy a good glass of wine or a pitcher of beer, and those that prefer an aged scotch. We have your low-carb dieter, your non-meat eater and even the 'rack-of-ribs and a plate of fries' preferences. We have those who remember their 40th birthday as if it were yesterday (because it was) and those who can’t remember anything. We have those with hot flashes and those who enjoy the hot tub. But, with all of our differences, we all come together like a fine-tuned rock band. We may be loud, but its music just the same.
To understand the commitment to this trip is to understand the circumstances of this year’s escapades. Our plans were made months in advance, all arriving by Saturday, February 6th, with planned departures for the 10th. But Mother Nature threw us a bone…with the onset of the storm that was brewing in the East, we all diligently rescheduled for the previous day (an extra day). And, we made it by the skin of our chinny-chin-chins. Dulles Airport closed at 12:45pm. My flight had a scheduled departure of 12:30pm. Snow was becoming heavy. Flights were being cancelled. Schools were letting out early. My plane had to be de-iced on the runway just prior to take-off. What was I thinking? Any parent in their right mind would have said, “get me off of this plane. I need to get home to my family!”</em> All I kept thinking was, “take off, just take off.” If it were not for the fact that our entire crew was from Denver, I would have nothing to write about. They wanted 'out' as much as I did. When we landed in Denver, I had approximately 5 minutes (and 35 gates away) to make my connection. But not to worry, my girlfriends, who had the same connecting flight, had my back. They not only begged and pleaded for them to hold the plane, but they never boarded until they saw the whites of my eyes. That's what I'm talking about...
Everyone had a story that day. Between the re-routes, missed connections, lost luggage (mine) and pre-dawn departures, it’s become obvious just how much this trip has come to mean to each of us.
These trips represent a 'time-out' – from schedules, from childcare, from spousal obligations (whatever they may be), from work, from weekday rituals, from living within parameters, from, from, from…. It’s truly OUR time. It's our time to be silly, to be daring, to be spontaneous, to be whimsical, to be lazy, to be or not to be….and, really, WHY NOT?</strong> It’s purely therapeutic. When was the last time you spent 3 hours in an outside hot tub in 20 degree temperatures at the base of a mountain – wearing long underwear and a sports bra? NEVER??? Why Not? It was a spontaneous moment, I assure you. Do you think I would honestly plan to wear my long underwear in the hot tub for all to see??? Actually, WHY the hell NOT? The fact that I did it the following day is another story…. But the beauty of it was that we ALL did it the following day. NO ONE CARED. And, really, WHY the hell NOT? We were there to enjoy each other’s company, and no one else’s (with the exception of our newest cast member – but that was a COMPLETE aberration). How about that it was only 12 noon and we were drinking vodkas mixed with Diet Snapple and eating pretzels, gourmet pretzels. I know what you’re thinking – DIET SNAPPLE? When was the last time you drank at 12 noon (without apology or having to offer an explanation), just because you could? When was the last time you spent 3 hours in deep conversation (while in the hot tub) and didn’t have to pay for it or submit it to insurance? Of course, it wouldn’t count unless you were in your long johns! When I think about it, that was a pretty special hot tub…. But, really, WHY NOT?
When was the last time you had more wine than coffee in a given day (for 4 days straight)? When was the last time you watched the Superbowl with JUST a bunch of women? When was the last time it was just about you? When was the last time you got to watch “American Idol”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, and “LOST” back-to-back, all in one night (all previously taped)? When was the last time you controlled the clicker? When was the last time you did laundry and only had to fold your underwear? When was the last time you went 5 days without make-up? O.K., maybe that's an extreme, but the opportunity did exist. When was the last time you sat at a bar and played “wing-man” for your single friend? I think I’ve said too much…
When was the last time you made a new friend?
When was the last time you laughed and laughed and laughed, and then laughed some more? Why Not…
I’m told that its unusual for 8 women to be under one roof together and spend that much time with each other without even a scratch. My response is, that it’s NOT that it’s unusual, it’s truly SPECIAL. There's a comfort in having friends who 'have been there and done that' , knowing that whatever you are going through, understand. There's a comfort in having friends who will laugh at your jokes (its a very funny group), who will push you when you need a little 'why not' kind of push, but who will catch you should you stumble (or they think you are headed for a tumble) ....However, if they're too late to catch you, at least they're always there to help ease the pain, usually with a bottle of wine.
When we realized that our scheduled flights were not a possibility due to the second round of snow storms that leveled the East Coast, we all took charge of our own destiny – and stayed another 3 days. WHY NOT!
That’s what I’m talking about…
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