A five week all girls trip to Greece with seven of my best girl friends! I was fresh out of college, and ready to rock the world. Sure, I had taken many girls weekend getaways, but that trip definitely won the prize for best girls trip of all time. I am not quite sure if it is replicable by me, or by any one for that matter, as our travels could have been made into a hilarious movie. They included such events as spontaneous beach modeling on the Island of Kos, natural hot spring jacuzzis at 4a.m. presented by a random cab driver, trips to the Parthenon and other ancient ruins, topless beaches, and volcanoes, each with their own story to tell.
Family vacations and honeymoons, they are fun and all, but nothing beats a girlfriend getaway. Nothing. You just never know what to expect! Here are the top 12 reasons why I support that theory!
1. Talk About Broadening Your Horizons
When your energy is high and happiness surrounds you, it’s attractive. You are bound to meet a ton of new people on this trip! Whether it be new friends to add to the group, meeting the family of your friends, or just new acquaintances through your travels.
A friend of mine on that trip ended up flying back to Greece the following year to be the Maid of Honor at her new found friends’ wedding. With social media, keeping in touch has never been easier. International and long distant friendships can be really fun.
2. Really get to Know Your Friends
Thought you knew what your girlfriends were made of? Sugar and spice and everything nice, right? Try spending 24 hours a day with them. You’re bound to discover some things about your friends you never knew. It will deepen friendships and create lasting bonds. You will laugh, cry, and learn to deal with everyone’s personal quirks. You’ll learn how they take their coffee, prefer their eggs, and probably even their favorite underwear and bra set.
3. Chance to Travel Abroad
What we decided to do on our trip was visit the cities that each person’s families originated from in Greece. Since there were seven of us, that gave us seven destination points to travel to. We discovered different cultures within cultures, visited a wide variety beaches, bars and restaurants, and best of all, we got to see exactly where, and WHO our friends came from. A few of us were lucky enough to spend time with grandparents in the small mountain villages, where you should never, ever wear platform shoes. Just a pointer.
4. Woman Bonding Time
Yes, friendship is something men understand, and they too need companionship, but our girl-friendships are totally different. They are more emotional, more intense, and very nurturing. We nurture each other, that’s what we do.
And it’s extremely important for our emotional health to have ties and friendships that help us grow as humans. Traveling is the perfect time to create deep, or deeper bonds with your girls.
5. Stress Release
You will do nothing that requires thought or induces stress on a girl’s trip. In fact ,you will laugh a lot, dance, depend on Uber for rides, and not clean one dish, bathroom, or floor. You will be waited on as if you all were royalty, because indeed you are, and even when you have to wait on that curb for six hours with all your luggage because you’re lost, and you swear they told you the bus stops there, you will enjoy every moment together!
6. This will make you a better Mother, Daughter, Sister, Wife, etc.
I am stating this as a fact. When you are given the time to unwind and detach from the kids, husbands, boyfriends, and work, your mind and body relax and settle into a very calming, peaceful state.
You feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and carry a more positive, radiant energy with you. Unfortunately, this sometimes fades, so make sure you plan girl getaways more often!
7. Great Shopping Experiences
Women are WAY better shopping partners than men for the most part. They understand the need for searching for that perfect shirt, or the time it takes to ponder the purchase, or the need to try on 10 pairs of shoes before finding the perfect ones.
They also won’t judge you when you ask how your butt looks…. FYI when traveling to Europe, have a separate budget for clothing expenses and an extra bag for return purchases. Shopping abroad is always fun!
8. No time restraints!
There are no timekeepers on girls trips. No one gauging how long you take to blow dry your hair, or your need to repaint your nails. You are out when you’re out, and if you miss your method of transportation because of that, you might get lucky and have a super cool taxi driver who can speed down steep mountains and has the capability to radio into the boat that’s about to depart to wait for his passengers. You might get that lucky, I don’t know. But regardless, there are other boats to catch!
9. The Thunder Down Under
There are just some things that are made for women only. If you have the chance to catch a show of this sort on your travels, I say go for it.
The entertainment and laughs you will have on this all girls excursion will be endless. Just the photo ops are worth it. Perhaps one of the lovely ladies is a bride to be, or has a birthday? They get to go on stage for special treatment!
10. Your period
It is understood by all women that when this day comes, it calls for a day of relaxation and staying in if need be. All day poolside relaxation is definitely an option everyone will agree with. No need to keep up with the Joneses when you are traveling with a group of girls. Take-out is awesome, and chick flicks are always good to catch up on at the hotel.
11. Selfies and Photos
You can take unlimited pictures and no one cares! In fact, the more the merrier! And us girls don’t mind retakes until the hair and face look perfect. But don’t forget to take pictures of those unposed for memories. Those are often the best!
Capture before and afters, take a pic of the cute bartender who gave out all the free shots, take that picture of your girlfriend dancing on the bar (yes, that is common practice at Greece nightclubs along with breaking glass plates and drinks after you use them, make sure to take pics of that, too) Just remember, what happens in Greece stays in Greece. Upon arrival back to the states, many of our photos were declared non-releasable to the general public, and for our eyes only.
12. Memories
The number one reason to take an all girls trip is to create unforgettable memories with the people you love. If you can plan a long, overseas getaway as I did, I highly recommend taking that opportunity. You may never get a chance like this again.
We weaved bonds never to be broken, and now share our lives together 20 years later as mothers and wives. Once life begins with careers, marriages, and kids, it’s often tough to get away. But even short all girls weekend trips are extremely beneficial, are highly needed, and can be really fun!
In conclusion, many women believe that girl-friendships are one of the strongest relationships ever to be created. They unite us in cause, and allow us to help one another through life’s often tough journey. We should nurture these bonds, and hold them sacred.
