My friend Kate is getting married very soon, and I had the opportunity to spend a weekend away to celebrate the end of her single days. I wouldn't really call it a bachelorette party because while there was a lot of wine present, there were no wild games of daring and rowdiness, nor were there any trinkets shaped like male genitalia. (Not Kate's style - you can add that to the list of reasons I love her so.)
We all (and by "we," I mean a small group of her closest friends) convened at a rented condo in Douglas, Michigan (adjacent to Saugatuck, MI) and proceeded to lay out a plan for the perfect weekend. We drank homemade sangria, we lounged poolside, we swam, we met a cocker spaniel named Ellie (a story for another day), played cards, and did a lot of talking.
There is something so interesting about the collection of people that attended - each woman vastly different in her own ways, some from out of town, one an expectant mother, most married but not all, and ALL of us intelligent, well-spoken, and so very happy to be there, if even for a quick weekend getaway. Our conversations drifted seamlessly from birth control to politics, day care to dogs, cosmetics to neurosurgery, proper punctuation to dwindling tourism in Africa, or even the successes and failures of marketing/advertising in the consumer packaged goods industry. We sat around and talked about celebrities, and in the next breath, about how John McCain holds a microphone. (Okay that last one was me, but I'm sorry, it really bugs me how he sticks his elbow out. It's really awkward looking.)
When I wasn't busy helping myself to another cocktail that I may (OR MAY NOT) have needed, I quietly wondered whether there would be another time where we could all get together like this - without a care, without a schedule, without the burden of drama, argument, stress, family, finances, etc. It was as if the whole world stood still so that we could simply enjoy one another's company. It was divine. After all, the days of carefree, footloose behavior are coming to an end. I cannot announce everything that flies into my head forever. For some of us, planning time away like this won't always JUST include booking a kennel, or running our trips against the calendar of a spouse. That knowledge alone made this past weekend that much more special and memorable.
Kate has curated her group of friends to include some amazing women, and I was honored to be among them.
We all (and by "we," I mean a small group of her closest friends) convened at a rented condo in Douglas, Michigan (adjacent to Saugatuck, MI) and proceeded to lay out a plan for the perfect weekend. We drank homemade sangria, we lounged poolside, we swam, we met a cocker spaniel named Ellie (a story for another day), played cards, and did a lot of talking.
There is something so interesting about the collection of people that attended - each woman vastly different in her own ways, some from out of town, one an expectant mother, most married but not all, and ALL of us intelligent, well-spoken, and so very happy to be there, if even for a quick weekend getaway. Our conversations drifted seamlessly from birth control to politics, day care to dogs, cosmetics to neurosurgery, proper punctuation to dwindling tourism in Africa, or even the successes and failures of marketing/advertising in the consumer packaged goods industry. We sat around and talked about celebrities, and in the next breath, about how John McCain holds a microphone. (Okay that last one was me, but I'm sorry, it really bugs me how he sticks his elbow out. It's really awkward looking.)
When I wasn't busy helping myself to another cocktail that I may (OR MAY NOT) have needed, I quietly wondered whether there would be another time where we could all get together like this - without a care, without a schedule, without the burden of drama, argument, stress, family, finances, etc. It was as if the whole world stood still so that we could simply enjoy one another's company. It was divine. After all, the days of carefree, footloose behavior are coming to an end. I cannot announce everything that flies into my head forever. For some of us, planning time away like this won't always JUST include booking a kennel, or running our trips against the calendar of a spouse. That knowledge alone made this past weekend that much more special and memorable.
Kate has curated her group of friends to include some amazing women, and I was honored to be among them.
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