The saying “laughter is the best medicine" is one of the truest I have ever heard. Going on a trip with your best friends, whether it's for a just weekend or a whole week, is always refreshing. It's time for you to completely be yourself. It's a time to lift each other up. It's time to relax. It's a time to scream the lyrics of songs from a decade ago. It's a time to shed a tear during a hopelessly romantic chick flick. Most importantly, it's a time where calories don't count.
I have always believed that the best gift that you can ever give someone is your time.
Being present, really present, is the biggest compliment to another. Building new relationships or working on old ones all have to start with giving your time. This is the reason why I will never say “no" to a trip with my friends.
With all that being said, go to that music festival. Go to that movie. Go to your bestie's hometown. Go shopping. Lay out on the beach. Get your nails done. Regardless of the amount of time it takes in the cramped car or the amount of money you'll take from your savings account, it's worth it.
Be willing to be present.
Be willing to just say yes to new experiences and new places. You'll never look back and think, “Oh, I wish I would have saved that money," or “I can't believe how much sleep I got that night." Two things that you don't get to take with you when you die: time and money. Invest in time with the people you love.
I'm happy to say that this summer, I was able to go on a handful of trips with my friends from my hometown as well as my friends from college. Yes, I had to sacrifice some money that I wanted to save. Yes, I took a million and three photos. Yes, I spent many hours in the car. Yes, it meant that I had to be willing to just say “yes." No, I don't have any regrets.
Meredith Grey, from ABC's “Grey's Anatomy," said it best when she said, “it's important to take the time to tell the people you love how much you love them while they can still hear you." I would argue that you can do that in more ways than just saying “I love you."
