For years, boys have cornered the weekend getaway market. From golf trips to trips across the country to watch your favorite football, hockey, baseball or basketball teams play, to weekends at a casino. Many of these men have been fortunate to find that these events meet the “requirements,” while others simply appreciate the “work hard, play hard” philosophy of life.

While women have come a long way in the workforce, for years we fell far behind in terms of equal fun. But watch out because we are catching up.

There’s a lot to be said for a weekend with your friends, whether you’re male or female, young or old. If you can think back to sleepovers as a child, you’ll remember that those nights of watching movies, sharing stories, and laughing until your sides ached seemed endless. Sure, as kids, we were pretty carefree at first, but after a night out with your friends, you could roll up your sleeping bag in the morning, pack your things, and head home knowing you weren’t alone. You had more bounce in your step, a bigger smile on your face, and a refreshed outlook on life.

Then came the high school or college years, when trips usually revolved around a popular movie from my mom’s generation and we all headed “where the boys are.” We pack our bags, get in the car or board a plane, and head to the beach, where we spend a lot of time trying to look good and say the right thing to the right guy. But we had our girlfriends with us, so whether we met the man of our dreams or ended up dancing on a table and singing Karaoke only to be left manless at the end of the night, we again had our girlfriends by our side to relive every glorious or humiliating detail with. And yet we knew we were not alone. Our sides still ached from laughter, we still had a quick stride, a bigger smile on our faces, and we were ready to take on the world again.

We were making memories, we were having the time of our lives and we didn’t even realize at the time how much we needed these sleepovers or weekends at the beach, they were just rites of passage growing up. But you may wonder what happened next, that’s what we did, we grew up. And we all know that growing up means many different things. For some it’s getting married and having kids, for others it’s endless hours at the office, and for many it’s trying to juggle both. But many of us forget about those sleepovers and weekends at the beach and how important they were. So for many years we tried to condense all that fun, all the laughter, and all the stories into a couple of hours. So “let’s go to lunch” became a popular invitation or “who’s up for a girls’ night out?” it turned out to be a good time. Holidays or weekends away were something you did as a couple or with your family. But none of these were up to the slumber parties or getaway weekends of yesteryear.

But who had time for a night out, let alone a weekend? Have we gotten so wrapped up in our families and careers that we’ve lost sight of how important we are? If we don’t take care of ourselves and take time for ourselves from time to time, we could lose that little girl we once were. And just like the sleepovers and weekends at the beach of our childhood days, all it takes is one person to pick up the phone and say pack your bags and begin the adventure.

In recent years, the travel industry has seen an increase in girls’ getaway weekends and it’s about time. And once word gets out about book clubs, brunches, mommy and me classes, or yoga, more of us will pack our bags and hit the road.

Eastover Resort, a recreational complex in Lenox Massachusetts has responded to this trend. In 2002 they organized their first girls’ weekend. They promised a “Weekend without boys, without men, without stress”. Girls Weekend in Eastover came to life when Betsy Kelly, whose family owns Eastover, and Melanie Marsden, who is a massage therapist in Boston and working at the time as Eastover’s director of sales and marketing, were sitting with Melanie’s mother and a few other guests. from Eastover for a long time who had become friends through the years. Betsy and Melanie were talking about their hectic lives and how they needed a day off. The guests told them that what they really needed was a weekend where they could stay in their pajamas and drink mimosas with friends all weekend, then proceeded to tell them about the girls’ getaway trips they take every year, sometimes to Eastover, other times to Florida. or Myrtle Beach. But working in the hospitality industry doesn’t allow for a weekend away, so Betsy and Melanie did the following: They took the idea to Ticki Winsor, owner and general manager of Eastover, who endorsed the idea, and together they began planning. . your own weekend – at Eastover Resort.

They invited friends and family and through word of mouth advertising alone, 4 months later, over 60 women attended the first Eastover Girls Weekend. They were between 21 and 70 years old. They were single, married, divorced and widowed. They were executives, waitresses and housewives. But with all their differences they had one thing in common, they were girls.

Eastover arranged spa services such as massages, reiki, facials, and nail services. They also had tarot card readers and palm readers. They had low fat menu options and greasy comfort food. They served Mimosas in the morning and Rum Punch at Happy Hour served by the Cabanna Boys. Some women sat by the fire and read magazines, others rode horses or went for a walk. Others spent the afternoon by the pool or napping in their room. For 3 full days and 2 full nights, these women were able to do what they don’t usually do: whatever they wanted. On Girl’s Weekend they weren’t someone’s wife or mother, answering to a boss or checking their schedule for their next date; they were that little girl again, the one who could stay up all night, lying in a bed to sleep. bag, laughing with friends for hours without a care in the world – the only difference was that this time they were in comfortable beds. The resort took on incredible energy that weekend. It was a feeling of relaxation mixed with empowerment. And they left with that bounce in their step, that smile on her face, those familiar but long forgotten aching sides and the reminder that they were not alone, but with the promise that they would return.

And they’re back, the second annual Girls’ Weekend in Eastover in April 2003, which was still advertised solely by word of mouth, attracted 150 women and added activities and services such as aqua aerobics and yoga classes, massage workshops and a personal trainer. and karaoke. Due to overwhelming demand and a reluctance to allow the weekend to grow beyond 150 ladies for fear of losing any sense of intimacy, Eastover now hosts 4 girls’ weekends each year in January, April, May and November.

Eastover was surprised but pleased with the overwhelming turnout and attributes her success to women understanding (or remembering) how important it can be to take time out of your life to relax, recharge and renew.

Country Walkers, a Vermont-based company, offers tours for female travelers. Designed exclusively for women, these innovative tours offer guests extraordinary opportunities to take some “down time” while connecting with fellow travelers as they walk the world together. Solo female travelers. mothers and daughters sisters. Friends. Women of all ages and interests explore fascinating destinations in a “women only” environment on these women’s adventure vacations. Some of their 2008 destinations include Morocco, Vermont for fall foliage, Arizona, the Grand Canyon and Sedona, and Italy.

Gutsy Women Travel was created to celebrate the indomitable spirit within every woman to experience the world! Whether you are already well traveled or someone who has never ventured much beyond your own community, Gutsy Women Travel invites you to embrace that inner yearning, pack your bags and travel with them. Gutsy Women Travel organizes trips to Africa, Asia, Greece, Europe, Latin America and North America.

If you search for “Girl Getaways” online, you’ll literally find thousands of options, from weekend retreats to Bed & Breakfasts, cruises, or overseas adventures. So my advice to you is to pick up the phone, call your old friends and plan a girl’s weekend away. Go big like a cruise or go small like a “no boy, no man” sleepover at one of your friends’ houses, but most importantly, just go. You will not regret.