“We should get together!”
“I haven’t seen you in forever!”
“It was so good to see you– we need to hang out more often!”
I can’t think of the number of times I’ve said this to friends of mine– and I don’t just mean acquaintances but actual friends that I really do love seeing. Especially when you have different circles of friends and each of you work full-time, it’s disappointing how infrequently those good intentions materialize.
The solution? Girl’s Night.
Several months ago a girlfriend and I decided to start a girl’s get-together every other Thursday evening, open to any girls but with a reminder sent out to a core group a couple days ahead, very low-key, come-if-you-can, 8pm till 9 or 10-ish. We try to be creative about the kinds of things we do and thankfully in DC there are usually a plethora of free or low-cost options (although the first months of the year are probably the slimmest pickings). But the key is just to make it happen!—whatever we end up doing. When there were talks going on about John Calvin followed by wine/refreshments, we did that one time, a concert another time. When the Gaylord Hotel was featuring indoor snow-fall and carols over Christmas, we went there (followed by ice cream!). There have been suggestions of ice-skating in the Sculpture Garden or going to see the light display at the Mormon Temple; sometimes we just do coffee on H Street at the café and wine bar a few blocks from my house or a stay-in event like the other night when we met at a girlfriend’s place for facials and manicures.
There isn’t pressure to make it every time so sometimes it’s a large group and sometimes it’s more intimate. Suggestions for what to do come from anyone with a good idea, but one of the girls (bless her!) has taken it on herself to make sure the e-mail goes out every other week.
It’s been a wonderful bi-monthly event to look forward to and hopefully a tradition that continues for a long time.
What a great idea! Surely there must be at least one fun thing around here where I live to do…
I am a 30 year veteran of girl’s night or day out and it is one of the best investments of my time ever made. Well, possibly a 30 year committment to exercise may have been a tad bit better had I had the guts or stamina to dedicate myself to that. Unfortunately, I will never know, nor do I care. ENJOY the women in your life at these bimonthly outings or innings. For me, without sister or mother, God has blessed my life with enduring,female,relationships.
….and I second my cousin by marriage AND girl friend, Cindy. I also have spent many years fostering my female relationships in one form or another….by setting aside a time…for lunch, years ago it was “craft day”, even trips together. My daughter and her friends also have followed suit. Good for you Erin for discovering the importance…you’ll find it evenmore valuable with the arrival of little “Peabody”.
One of the greatest additions to my social calendar in 2010. Props to y’all for the brilliant idea. I still want the Wylie Street tour despite my absence last night.
I know a group of ladies who get together every other week to play Dutch Blitz. Sometimes there are more people, sometimes less depending on life events (new babies, husbands working late, marriage and honeymoons, etc.)but when I can go I always enjoy it and am thankful for a low pressure event that I CAN go to, but don’t have to. :-) And it’s extremely cheap, which is a plus!
we should re-invent this event.