I couldn’t have been happier to get on the plane. Visions of sunny blue skies, sand, surf and fruity cocktails took over my mind. It seemed almost too good to be true. And it was.
That’s right, in the middle of perhaps the mildest winter I’ve ever experienced, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. was having a cold, rainy spell. The sun lingered behind the clouds, the rain threatened (but did retreat) and the wind whipped those palm trees into a complete frenzy. You know what? It was a great vacation.
Sometimes, it’s not about where you go, but rather, whom you’re with. This was my second foray into a girlfriend getaway, and it proved to be as fun as the first. I wasn’t sure it would happen. You see, there are 10 of us. Ten women with 24 children trying to leave for a weekend? You know how hard that must be.
Luck wasn’t on our side. Husbands travel for work, pregnancies sideline us and life just gets in the way. So, for many, this year’s trip was off the radar. But four of us were determined; we forged ahead and made it happen. I’m so glad we did.
While the weather didn’t cooperate, it couldn’t stop us from having a good time. We walked, shopped and talked. We shared stories of family, life and our hopes for the future. Right there, on a cold beach in Florida, my girlfriends and I revealed our most intimate thoughts. Conversations we’d never delve into at home, while children run between us and life and responsibility beckon, happened naturally at the beach.
We may not have had the warmth of the sun, but we had the warmth of friendship. I’d take that over sun any day of the week. Even so, next year’s destination is definitely going to be a tropical one!