Getting Ready for our Girls Trip

Lots to do on my to-do list, as I prepare and look forward to our upcoming girls trip this coming Tuesday.  Every year for the past several years, I have taken a warm get-away trip with my two adult daughters. We have been to Aruba a few times, Santa Monica, San Francisco and Charleston, SC.

We usually go when we’re too cold to continue to endure these New York winters. The last time we went to Aruba was February 2020, a month before the two-year shut-down. We also usually go when one or all of us really needs a reprieve from a too-hectic life. My older daughter just finished working on a giant project for 6 weeks straight – so we’re headed out to help her have fun and relax. We are going to Florida to stay right on the beach, at a hotel with a giant pool and a balcony in our room. The weather looks like sunny and 82 degrees.

It should be an easy pack, but for me there is no such thing. I overthink and overpack - I’m filled with what ifs:  What if you get ketchup all over your one sweatshirt? What if it’s really warmer/ cooler than predicted? My husband generally takes 20 minutes to pack. We have a running joke based on the one time we arrived at our destination and he forgot to bring extra tee shirts. “Ready for a laundry yet?” we ask each other on day 2 of every trip.

I am most grateful to have two daughters that I love to travel with. We’ll exercise, swim, relax, dine outside, and enjoy a brief respite from reality. The Tuesday 7 AM departure can’t come soon enough.