I boarded the plane at 10 a.m., the group text lighting up my phone in regular thirty second increments with travel updates. I try to never check a bag for weekend trips, so I hauled my rolling suitcase into the overhead compartment and settled into the window seat. Accompanied by Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and a granola bar, I tried to nap in preparation for the weekend ahead.
It’s been two years since we’ve all been together, an unfortunate reality of living in every possible corner of the country. These days, wedding celebrations are the most common excuse to plan what we say we all need year after year: a girl’s trip.
Landing in Charleston, I was surprised to see palm trees (definitely forgot those were a thing in the south). Rachel and I (and our matching matcha lattes) scooped the rental car and hit the road.
The laughs started early—Google Maps updated directions as we were already passing intersections—and we all talked over each other with life updates and ideas for our weekend together and excitement for the upcoming wedding.
This group of friends has been traveling together for years. Our journeys used to be shorter, heading a few hours north in Michigan rather than a few hours by plane to a different coast. But we are well-practiced at putting together the perfect weekend trip. Thankfully, this was not the typical Bachelorette party: we traded matching outfits for long colorful dresses and day drinking for hot coffees at brunch. Over the weekend, we shared laughter and tears and waffles and everything in between. We took way too many photos and ordered dessert at every restaurant, but it felt important to document we were actually in one place and make the most of our time together.
While there is much to be said for technology keeping us in almost constant contact, there is no comparison for being together in person. Since it’s a rarity these days, the time we do spend together feels more intentional. Our “how are you, really?” questions were met with authentic answers, and we dissected relationships and careers and our skincare routines with precision. We were more vulnerable over our glasses of orange wine than we are over FaceTime.
Time always flies on these trips. Just as quickly as we arrived in Charleston, we were back at the airport, lugging our carry-ons and parting ways. The significance of these friendships after a weekend like that is never lost on me—we all pause our lives, deplete finances to invest in plane tickets and lodging and meals out on the town, but we are replenished in the ways that matter most. We were exhausted from lack of sleep and over-caffeinating, but our hearts were full from conversation and laughter. And that will be worth every penny, every time.
Olivia graduated from Calvin in May 2018 with a double major in business and writing. She now works as an editor in Nashville, Tennessee and is eating her way through the restaurants of her new town. She enjoys weekend trips with friends, petting other people’s dogs, and drinking coffee like a Gilmore Girl.
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Love this. I