By Donna Hendricks
I always enjoyed the thrill and excitement of coming up with a plan to escape the ordinary with my girlfriends and living to tell the tale! Once I got married, the urge to do this remained, but what did change is that I was now challenged to be more selective and purposeful with the gift of time allotted for such experiences.
My first girls-trip after being married in 2008 was in 2013 for my cousin’s birthday getaway to Miami and a cruise to the Bahamas. The five-year lapse provided a wonderful opportunity for my husband and I to blend our families and create a bond that has been withstanding all the challenges and opportunities that come with building a successful family unit. At a place where I felt good about where things were, I knew that it was time to incorporate new experiences that would enrich our ongoing evolution! While family trips, mother-daughter trips, and get-togethers with family and friends were present, I found myself yearning for the type of magic that only happens when you and your sister-girls get to spend quality, unadulterated time away together!
Here are my top reasons why I don’t hesitate to say deuces to my husband and daughter to blissfully enjoy getaways with a combination of women I love and women who I have grown to love:
Self-Care
Quite frankly, “all work and no play, makes [Donna] a dull girl”! Therefore, I choose to escape the ordinary with friends to submerge myself in self-care. My girlfriends and I know how to pull the fabulous out of each other, bringing self-care to the next level. Experiencing high tea in South Africa with two of my best friends and mother is forever etched in my heart and soul. One of my most peaceful night sleeps and favorite wake ups was when I woke up in a room fit for queens next to my best friend in Italy. Oh, let’s not forget the amazing and tranquil spa treatments I had in Dubai which has been rivaled just recently by the full body mud-mask experience in South Africa. After each experience with my girls close by, my body and mind had an opportunity to fully recharge. I returned home FULL of zest to pour into my family and work.
Opportunity to nurture other relationships
Selfie fun during Palm Springs girls trip
Yes, we love our partners, children, and extended family! However, we love our girlfriends too and we want these relationships to continue to evolve with us. Relationships require work...they need to be nurtured. The quality time spent during a getaway lends itself to exploring new dimensions of sisterhood. A prime example of this was during a girls’ trip to Palm Springs that my cousin planned for her birthday. Four months prior we both lost an Aunt who was very dear to us and our other cousin lost her mother. A cousin bonding experience like no other, the three of us had no idea how healing the experience would be for us.
Comfortable with going on girls’ trips and yearning for new travel experiences, I seized an opportunity to travel with Pink Girls Run the World on the inaugural trip to Dubai. There was some uncertainty because I only knew Tashieka through my cousin and I didn’t know anyone else on the trip! I didn’t care...I know what my spirit needs and I honor that. Having no doubts that I would have an amazing time, I walked away with new friendships, found a new opportunity to share with other friends, and created priceless memories with an exceptional group of women.
Have your children see you in a different light
I stress to my daughter that she can do anything she chooses, but it dawned on me early on in her life that I wanted to be her primary example of this. The vantage point that children have allows them to experience their mothers in such a powerful way. I wanted my daughter to see me bravely travel across the world with friends, so that when her time came she would feel empowered to do likewise. Similarly, there’s something so endearing about going away and then returning with treats, pictures, and stories to share! After returning home from a trip, I have seen my daughter look at my pictures and listen to my stories with such wonder in her eyes and spirit.
Experience the power of the village
Release control. Let’s say that again…”release control”. As mom and wife, we are the glue for our families...the oil to the familial machine that operates so smoothly...the brains behind the entire operation! While this is true for me too, I do have a husband and an amazing support system that picks up where I fall short. When I choose to go on a girls’ trip, I am forced to release full control to the wonderful people who I love. Actually, my temporary absence has, on many occasions, provided a wonderful opportunity for our daughter to bond with her father, cousins, grandparents, and family friends. Ladies, we know how sexy it is when we see our hubby step in do the damn thing; hold down the entire operation! They don’t do it like us and that’s okay.
Prom picture that my family sent to me of our daughter with her father before heading off to prom. I was in Italy
We all want to live our Best LIFE, but we cannot do so if we are not igniting all aspects of ourselves! In my experience, the people who love you the most always appreciate and encourage a healthy bit of space for growth.
Call your girlfriends and start planning, or join that travel club you’ve been eyeing. Drop a line at my ExtraIsMyOrdinary.com blog. Let me know where you and your girls are headed to next.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Donna is the creator of the blog EXTRA IS MY ORDINARY, and she is making her debut as a guest blogger on pinkgirlsruntheworld.com. Her main vision is to empower others to unleash the extra that lies within to live their lives unapologetically! As someone who understands that being extraordinary cannot be contained, she is happiest when inspiring others and luxuriating with family and friends. Using years of experience as an educator and a natural born leader, her ability to enlighten others is second to none. She effortlessly uses her good vibes and high expectations to help others to create the life they envision, but are fearful to live. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and has two young adult children.