More Than Mom: Why Girls’ Trips Matter

Lauren Bertoldo
contributing writer

For busy moms, the idea of taking time for a girls’ weekend getaway can feel almost impossible. There are kids to get to practices, meals to plan, laundry to fold, work responsibilities to manage, and a never-ending to-do list.

But sometimes, the most important thing we can do for ourselves, and our families, is step away for a little while.

A girls’ weekend isn’t selfish. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with the women who know you best, laugh until your stomach hurts, have conversations that don’t involve homework or schedules, and remember that you are more than just “Mom.”

Why Girls’ Trips Matter

Motherhood is incredibly rewarding, but it can also be exhausting. It’s easy to spend so much time caring for everyone else that friendships get pushed to the bottom of the list.

A weekend away gives you the chance to slow down and have a conversation that lasts longer than five minutes before soccer practice. You won’t necessarily catch up on sleep, but you will come home with a few new memories, a lot of laughter, and, hopefully, a reminder of who you were before your calendar became filled with everyone else’s activities.

There’s something special about traveling with girlfriends. You can dress up for dinner, stay up too late talking, explore a new place, sit by the pool for hours, or simply spend an entire morning doing absolutely nothing.

How to Actually Make it Happen

The hardest part of a girls’ weekend is often getting it on the calendar. If you wait until everyone is “less busy,” you will never go.

1. Put the date on the calendar first. Choose a weekend several months ahead, or even a year in advance, and commit to it! Once it’s on the calendar, everyone can plan around it. Just having a date to look forward to can help immensely when you are in the trenches of motherhood.

2. Keep it simple. A girls’ trip doesn’t have to be an international vacation. A nearby hotel, a cabin a few hours away, or even a one-night stay can be enough. The goal is time together. It doesn’t need to be a bucket-list destination.

3. Choose the right group. You don’t need 10 people. Sometimes two or three close friends make the perfect trip. Choose women you can laugh with, relax around, and be completely yourself with.

4. Divide the planning. One person doesn’t need to carry the entire trip. Let one friend find the hotel, another plan dinner, another research activities, and someone else book transportation. Planning together can be part of the fun.

5. Leave room for nothing. Resist the urge to plan every minute of the trip. Some of the best memories happen sitting around the hotel room in pajamas, talking until midnight, or wandering around a new town without a plan.

6. Make it affordable. Money shouldn’t be the reason you never get together. Set a budget everyone is comfortable with. A memorable girls’ weekend can be created without spending a fortune. Splitting the hotel room or rental car between friends makes it much more affordable, or choose a location you can drive to. It really doesn’t matter where you go. It’s all about who you go with.

Give Yourself Permission to Go

For moms, guilt can be our biggest obstacle.

You may worry about leaving your kids. You may feel like there are too many things to do at home. You may wonder whether your family will survive without you for a few days.

They will. And they may appreciate you that much more when you get back!

Sometimes we think we need a vacation because we are exhausted. But sometimes what we really need is a weekend with the friends who make us laugh, remind us of our strengths, and know all the chapters of our story.

So, send the group text. Pick a date. Book the room. Plan the trip!

Don’t wait for life to slow down.

Your girls’ weekend is worth putting on the calendar — and you are worth taking the trip.

Follow Lauren on Instagram at @jetsetterpointcollector for tips and tricks to save big on your next girls’ weekend or family adventure.