Girl trips: An escape designed for connection, rejuvenation and fun among female friends away from the typical responsibilities and demands of life. Even so, trips with friends can be draining, especially if they are action-packed. Time away shouldn’t mean putting yourself in constant situations where your battery is depleted and never recharged. Let’s talk about how to sneak in “micro-breaks’ during high-energy girl trips in order to keep self-care a priority.
Break Away
The easiest way to take a micro-break is to find 5-10 mins to step outside, or slow your pace. For example, tell your clan “Hey, I’ll meet you out front” to get out of that crowded gift shop. Or, “I’m going to take a few pictures so I’ll meet you at the museum entrance” to give you some time. It will allow you time to stop, find a space to breathe. In addition, being able to get out of a too crowded store, or noisy area for a few minutes can give an introvert much needed peace. A quick recharge can make all the difference.
Planned Downtime
Your friends know you. And more likely than not, you will be surprised at the activities they will plan that will be right up your alley as an introvert. Nonetheless, be sure to put in your suggestions to ensure that there are activities that will help you recharge. My friends and I actually went and got tattoos at Witch City Ink. Shout out to Renee! This may not sound relaxing, but it was. Just you, your tattoo artist, and some slow paced fascinating conversation. Was just the break I had needed and I got a wonderful piece of art to take with me!
After a long day of activities, it’s nice just to go back to your Airbnb or hotel and enjoy the downtime. Get some snacks, a little wine (if that’s your thing), your comfy pajamas and feel the stress melt away. At the end of each day, it helped us decompress, talk about our adventures of the day, laugh ourselves silly and prep for the next onslaught of activities come morning. We could be talkative, or quiet, sit for hours or just enough time to relax before going to bed.
Off the Beaten Path
Tourist destinations are usually crowded because everyone wants to see the same thing. The Memorial to the 19 people who were accused and put to death for being witches in Salem in 1692 along with every inch of the Salem downtown area was packed. Incredibly, stores had lines just to get in to shop, to keep them from being too overcrowded. We even had to make a reservation to get a coffee so that we could also get into their gift shop. Totally worth it by the way!
My friend was able to find an activity for us, where we could sit down, be creative and relax. We were able to take a class and bind our own leather books. Not only was it incredibly relaxing, we were able to create a beautiful keepsake. I must admit, this was probably my favorite activity from our trip.
Finally, it was great to find little places along the way to visit. Like Rockport, Massachusetts. Quaint little shops, beautiful weather and the friendliest people. Moreover, you can’t get any more peaceful and quiet than visiting an old cemetery. Of course, added bonus, it just happened to be where some of the Hocus Pocus scenes were filmed. As well as meeting great people, we took pictures of beautiful scenery and had the best food ever. Can you say fresh lobster? Yum!
Laugh, Giggle and Smile
Find time to be silly. Laugh! It will not only melt the stress you might be feeling, but it will also ground you, and make everything lighter. Do not feel obligated to do everything on the list of activities. Allow yourself time to just sit outdoors at a coffee shop, or in a park and wait for your crew to return. People watch, listen to some tunes and breathe. The girls will come back to a rested, happy introvert raring to go!
Salem, Mass – October: Things to check out
http://www.witchcityink.com/witch-city-ink/
https://thewitcherysalem.com/bookbinding
https://www.salem.org/hocus-pocus-filming-locations-salem-ma
