It just so happened that within 9 days of each other I would be traveling to 3 different places, with 3 sets of girlfriends, to have 3 different adventures.
The first was our annual backpacking trip. The original plans were thwarted for several reasons: 1. the weather has caused quite the mess in the high country. Every place we looked at backpacking was filled with snow. We finally found a place that was 6 miles in....which led to 2. I recently got diagnosed with a shredded meniscus which can be pretty painful at times if I do things my knee doesn't like. Heavy weights/squatting=no likey. This led me to back out a week before the trip-which then led to my badassssss women saying, "Oh heck no....you're still coming. We will change our plans." GUH...Things I learned/had reinforced on this trip: 1) Women are amazing and adaptable and do almost anything for the tribe. 2) Backpacking is the better way to go vs. sleeping near people that umm....caused us to have to go into work mode 1/2 the time. 3) Being on water is truly the best place to be. 4) Having a tribe of non-judgmental women is truly one of the biggest gifts a lady can have.
The second trip was Las Vegas with my originally work-turned into-life friends! This trip was insanely packed with fun from am-pm. It was hot and sweaty and fun and tiring and just wonderful. Last year we did a trip with our oldest boys, and this year we decided it was time for just a girls trip. Things learned here: 1)You truly can convince your brain that it can do anything, even when it's tired and says "there's no way.". 2) Vegas is definitely not just for gambling-there is SO MUCH to do that isn't even related to that! 3) Having girlfriends that support you no matter what the situation is so important. The ones that can let you say everything you need to say, and then say it again are invaluable.
The last trip was to Nashville for my bestest friend's Erin's bachelorette party. It was the first time in Nashville for 3 out of the 4 of us, and talk about being where we should be for a bachelorette party. Holy Bachelorette Mecca, my goodness!!! It was so wonderful being with my friend and hearing about all the awesome details of her wedding that normally I would love to hear, in comfy clothes while I sit on her porch and we talk about it all since we live doorsteps from each other (I WISH:(!!!) Here's what I learned from Nashville: 1) A great friend of my best friend, is no doubt an awesome match for me too. 2) Good friends let you watch your kid's tournament baseball game in a bar in Nashville, great friends watch it with you and cheer even louder. 3) There is no place that has live music like this place....truly epic from sun-up to sundown. 4) Dancing is truly my happy place! Jumping feeling the music/up and down with 100s of others doing the same thing...sparks joy for me like no other!
These trips felt nuts. They felt crazy to leave my kids and Russell. They felt crazy because I rarely spend this money on my myself. They felt crazy because they stretched my limits of travel/late nights/beverages/lack of sleep. They felt crazy because "no one does girl trips" like that anymore. And despite the feelings of crazy, I came back feeling so fulfilled. Being a mom and working and staying home in the summer, it's very easy to lose yourself. It's easy to just hang with the moms while the kids are around and not talk about the things that only the ladies understand and best talked about out of the earshot of others. It's easy to say,, "I can't go because ...." of finding childcare, feeling guilty for being gone, the money, etc. BUT life is short darnit. YOU need your friends. You need to be around people who get you and your struggles and support you. YOU deserve to have conversations away from little kid's ears and go several nights without doing the nighttime routine.
You are worth it. I'm worth it. AND I feel so darn fortunate that I can make this my reality. Thank you grandparents, thank you Russell, thank you kids for understanding that Momma needs some time.
<3 p="">Momma
No comments:
Post a Comment