Making Time for Friends and Nature

I grew up with a great group of girlfriends, and we're still close. It took us a long time to realize that if we want to get together consistently, that we must make plans. We won't all be able to participate in every get-together, but it happens more often than not, which is the goal. We've been able to maintain our adventures for about 12 years now and we typically meet up about 4 times a year. We have a couple of set months when we know we will do something fun, but each time we get together, we discuss our next meeting and where we'll meet.

Planning this time gives us all something fun to look forward to and also gives us time to plan a new activity or adventure. We're typically at one of our homes, and some of our group can ride together to save on gas money, so our slumber party weekends are usually not expensive. It's really about being together.

Many of our slumber parties include time in nature. We might be at a beach or at a spring or lake in Florida, or maybe at a park of some sort. We can be anywhere together and it's fun, but it's amazing that so many of the times we're together, we also want to be outside in the fresh air, in the woods, at the beach, or maybe at a great park.

I recently got together with just a couple of these friends, and we started our weekend at a wildlife refuge where we went for walk and then watched the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico. We headed home with the sunroof open singing fun songs we listened to in high school and college. It was a great start to a weekend that also included a day at a gorgeous Florida spring in very "refreshing" water - if by refreshing, I mean COLD (68 degrees)! We loved it, though! We had so much fun and were very relaxed at the end of the day.

My brain, body, soul, all of me, felt rejuvenated and relaxed at the end of weekend, which is what I think is the purpose of a weekend, or days off. For your own peace of mind, relaxation, motivation, and creativity boost, I highly recommend a bit of time in nature with a good friend or two. Talk, laugh, say silly things, say important things, open up, and play! It's time, and you and your friends deserve these special times to reconnect. If you're anything like me and my friends, it will make a huge difference in the quality of your life!

Get out there and enjoy nature with your friends,

Love, love, love,

Deborah