Years ago before my life was marked by motherhood and embarking on adventurous solo trips, I would take the occasional “girls trip”. My friends and I would randomly come up with places that we wanted to visit, scramble to make travel plans, and go. Sometimes these trips would end up being a great time, and other times they’d end up being NOT so great, marked with drama, arguments, and often even leaving us questioning the strength of our friendships at the end of the day.
It’s not that we had bad friendships from the start, but instead simply because we didn’t travel well together. Traveling with a group is never easy, especially if it’s a group of women. Between hormones, different interests, budgets, tolerance levels, and temperaments, it doesn’t take much for an entire trip to fall apart.
Being around someone for a few hours at a time to catch up over food and/or drinks is completely different than being around someone for several days, often confined to the same room and itinerary. Only then do you learn a person’s true personality and habits.
But every once in awhile, you find a circle of friends who you “click” with...who you know you can count on to help dream trips come to a realization, and who you have no doubt in the back of your mind will bring nothing but laughs and happy moments once you arrive.
So how do you know when you’ve found the perfect travel tribe?
You don’t have to think twice about asking them to join you on a vacation, because you already know the answer will be “Yes.”
You don’t have to chase them around waiting on them to pay their portion of the trip (even if they have to back out), or worry that they’ll have a fit about splitting the bill.
You don’t have to worry about being judged for your actions on a trip, because you’re all there to have a good time and enjoy life.
You each have an understanding that all of you have different personalities and interests, but never let that get in the way of your vacation.
You aren’t stressed or feeling ill-will toward anyone before, during, or after the trip.
You have an understanding that everyone needs alone time and respects that time.
You have travel stories and photos with one another to keep you laughing and reminiscing for years to come.
You create a silly "group name" for your tribe, because you know that your group is just that unique, special, and unforgettable.
I was lucky enough to have found my perfect travel tribe several years ago, in the early 2000’s. From that moment on, no one could stop the four of us from planning trips together, near and far. Coming from different cities and states tens and even hundreds of miles apart, many times, we’d only see each other during our planned vacations...but that only meant more time for us to catch up with one another and less time for drama.
It’s been a few years since we last got together. Between parenthood, marriage, career changes and more, life has changed quite a bit for each of us. I don’t know when the next trip will be, or if we will have one at all...but one thing that the four of us can agree on is that we will never forget the fun that we’ve had over the years. We’ve created a unique bond that no one can break, and memories that will forever remain ingrained in our minds, no matter how far apart we may grow.
We’ve created not just a travel tribe, but a sisterhood...and no one can take that away.
Special thanks to my travel tribe Kara, Nicky, and Tammie for providing me with a lifetime of unforgettable memories. This post wouldn’t have been possible without you!
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Are you a single/solo traveling mom or woman? If so, join my Facebook group Women and Mothers Who Travel Solo to connect with, encourage, and share travel tips and tricks with other women just like you!