friendship – The Next 38

I’ve been working a lot, every weekend and Monday through Thursday a lot. One of my friends, during a discussion on professional development classes, said that I am always going somewhere. He said it because I told him I am going to Canada in June, so I can’t take a class with him. I replied back with the fact that I have 3 jobs. And one day off a week. So, yeah, I need some time for travel.

So far, this year I have gone to NOLA and Vancouver. One with my husband and the other with the best travel girlfriends a person could have. We had a great time and they made me laugh so much.

We did touristy things like visit Granville island, visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge, and shop in the city center. We also ate at cute neighborhood markets, had afternoon tea in neverland, visited a whiskey bar in gastown and laughed so hard we cried. We watched women’s Olympic hockey in a Canadian bar, and we were the only people cheering for USA (and USA won!).

I’ve known these girls for years. We are completely different. We don’t have the same beliefs and politics. But we were all teenage mothers who lived on the same street as single moms. We are connected by a shared experience and our continued friendship is an amazing kind of sisterhood. When I returned, I really reflected on the joy they bring me and how grateful I am to have them.

Remember to find joy with the people in your life.

There is nothing more fun than traveling with your people. Whoever your people are, your spouse, your family, or your life long friends. But they are the people who really get you and you feel most comfortable with. I definitely find that I have trouble traveling with certain types of people. I need some space to wind down. I have my own likes and interests and want to venture off at times from a group. I love traveling with my husband. He is my favorite travel partner and we really know each other’s likes and dislikes. We don’t worry about about splitting up or saying no to each other’s ideas. We also both like to get up early and get out to see things. We also like naps so we can reenergize for the afternoon/evening.

When I went to New York in March, I went with my BFF, who I have known for twenty four years. Wow. That’s crazy now that I write that out. We also went with our friend Jen, who moved next door to my BFF after I moved out to live in Southern California. This isn’t the first time the three of us have traveled together, but it’s been awhile since we went to Vegas together. A long while. Back then our kids were all small, now they are teenagers and adults.

New York, New York

Sometimes travel falls into your lap. At least this year it is for me. Kristin had a conference in New York and insisted I join her and Jen. I used miles for one flight and booked American for the other. I had never been to New York and part of the reason is the cost. The other is the distance. It’s hard to do a quick weekend trip when the travel sucks up so much time. I left on a Thursday and came back Monday, so I could enjoy myself. It also helps the search for award flights and prices when you aren’t traveling on peak days.

We packed a lot into our weekend. A broadway play. The statue of liberty. The Highline. So much food. The Russian Tea Room. But we also talked about our lives and where we’ve come. We laughed until we cried. We ate cupcakes in bed. And we walked until our feet hurt. These are definitely my people.