It had been three years since I’d been to a beach and seven years since I’d been somewhere with my very best friends. I had been looking forward to that quick trip for months. I couldn’t wait to laugh and joke and reminisce. You see, these are my girls. These are my ride or die…the chicks I’d do anything for and fight for without reason. They’re the ones with which I say anything and am my true self. As we age, I don’t see them nearly enough and the chance to spend just a few short days with them was a dream come true.

The agenda was simple – nothing was on the agenda. All of us wanted nothing more than to just sit. We wouldn’t wear makeup and washing your hair was optional. We even picked up a few groceries to have at the condo so we didn’t even have to get dressed to go eat. It was funny because we each remarked over how much different this trip was than the last one we took. Actually, it’s rather amazing how much things can change in just seven years.

As I sat along the beach, I thought about what makes this place so lovely. I love the cool breeze blowing so that it’s warm but still cool enough to be comfortable. I love the sound of the waves crashing on to the beach; it’s just loud enough to mask most of the other nearby sounds. It’s as if you’re in your own little world even though other people are all around. The chance to sit and just be and the chance to read or reminisce are all reasons to love this place.

I definitely don’t just sit enough. Instead, I’m always working towards something. Even if I’m “off,” I’m thinking or planning for the next big thing. Sitting and reading without a purpose and chatting for hours with my best friends are not activities that I get to enjoy often. The chance to decompress and reconnect with my friends was much appreciated. As I drove home from this lovely weekend, I realized how rested and relaxed I felt. As much as I think I “rest,” I realized that I don’t actually rest near enough. This weekend with my friends was rest.

I wish I could share with you exciting descriptions of the adventures we took. However, unless you’d like to hear about how many times I laughed during Mindy Kaling’s — or excessive, flowery details about what a nap on the beach is like, then I don’t really have much to share. I could tell you how lovely it is to not even pull your makeup from its case for an entire weekend. I could stretch the truth and say that my wild, untamed hair looked like perfect, magazine-worthy beach waves. (That would be the case for Amanda. Me? Not so much.) Instead, I’ll just say that it was a fantastic trip full of ample R&R and lots of laughs for everyone. Realizing that seven years passed all too quickly without this time together, we made a commitment to do this annually from now on. It’s good for everyone and let’s face it…these are my girls and I love them.

Until next year…