The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

You never know who you’ll meet on a girlfriend getaway

It’s vacation season for many, with great weather and kids out of school as families head off to water parks, resorts, and campgrounds. For moms like me, it’s also girlfriend getaway season, because it’s easier to leave the kids with our spouses/partners/relatives without factoring in school schedules. For others, like our own Angela, it’s time to gather some pals and head north where the weather is divine to relax.

Each July, some of my besties and I rent a house somewhere and convene to . . . well, basically we laugh the entire time. One year, I remember going to bed with a sore jaw from laughing so much. Whether partaking in touristy activities, kicking back, playing pranks on each other, or stopping to meet roadside llamas, each gathering is a non-stop joy-fest and something that’s brightened my existence considerably. Pretty surprising for someone who didn’t have many close girlfriends until adulthood.

There’s something valuable about hanging out with people who are much like yourself, but just different enough to make things interesting. It’s also comforting to have friends who don’t judge you for never losing that baby or college (or whenever) weight, and who see you as beautiful and perfect–right here, right now. This is the stuff that great girlcations are made of. There’s even a magazine devoted to Girlfriend Getaways, which might inspire ideas for a traveling friend-fest of your own, because there’s simply no substitute for gathering with women who “get” you.

Have you done a girlfriend getaway? If not, why not? If you’re thinking of starting one, you know what we’re going to ask: what are you waiting for?