This summer, I boarded a plane in Kansas City and landed 1,000 miles across the country. What makes this point of information relevant is that I was hand in hand with my best friend taking what I consider our first friend-cation. Her family willingly let me accompany them on their vacation to Hilton Head Island where we would sight see the beauty of South Carolina, spend hours laying on the beach and explore the tastes of the South at various restaurants.

Friend-cations are very much enjoyable and meant to be cherished. My time spent on the east coast with my best friend was one of my favorite memories from this past summer. It was a much needed break from our summer jobs, and one last chance to make summer memories together before we went our separate ways for our sophomore year. We explored Charleston and learned all about the rich history of the town, learned to love sweet tea and grits, and biked for miles on the island, all while spending every waking hour with each other.

It takes a special kind of friend to spend a friend-cation with because you don’t know if things might take a turn for the worse, and you end up get tired of spending so much time together. Fortunately, we were able to thrive off our time in South Carolina, and soak in all it had to offer without getting any of those feelings. This past summer was our first summer back together after having spent our freshman year at different colleges so it was bittersweet to take this trip because it reminded me that nothing will ever change between us. We managed to stay friends when our schedules were so full that it caused days in between long phone calls up catching up and filling each other in on our week’s events, or when we were both immersed in growing as individuals and experiencing all of what our own universities had to offer.

Vacationing in new places is a memory that you can hold with someone forever because the world is big and every new place holds a special spot in your memory because its out of the ordinary. I have my spots in which I love going back and visiting but new places are such a unique experience especially as I grow up and retain information and sights a bit better. Because of the great time I had learning about Hilton Head and South Carolina, in general, I already want to go back sometime in my lifetime just so I can see it again. That's what traveling does to those that truly soak in new places.

When given the opportunity, take a friend-cation. They allow your friendships to grow and you are able to spend so much time together in a new place creating lifelong memories. I couldn't of asked for a better week to end my past summer than with my BFF in South Carolina.