We're not all Carries or Samanthas. Real chick cliques have a distinct mix of personalities that balance each other out, accentuating our positives, masking our negatives, helping to make us the best versions of our self. These are the friends who know our darkest secrets, our wildest dreams and our almost-real weight. These are the girls you trust, the ones you want to spend a weekend with; after all, vacation is where we can (finally!) relax and not deal with work drama (please stop calling us "sweetheart," Ted in Accounting) or never-ending familial responsibilities (carpools, soccer practice, PTA potlucks, Mom this, Mom that, et cetera, et all, ad nauseam, love you kids!).
So listen, today is your day. Plan your girls' getaway. Your escape from the everyday. And bring these four friends with you.
The One Who Plans the Entire Trip
She creates the full itinerary for your three days in Dunwoody, a corresponding Google Map and personalized, glitter-doused binders with every local restaurant's Yelp review - three months before you leave. She packs your bags for you (the more shoes, the better) before she's even packed her own. She has cash to tip the bellhop. She has tips to avoid the long line at Café Intermezzo. If this friend makes you want to jump off the MARTA two hours into the trip, remember that without her, you would have eaten Altoids for every meal. She is what keeps the train from being a trainwreck.
The One Whose Excuse for Everything is 'Because Vacation'
She's the free spirit of the group. She orders an extra glass at every meal. While your other friend tips the bellhop, this friend invites the bellhop to happy hour. She's not one for itineraries and instead signs you up to zipline at Treetop Quest, informing you ten minutes before it starts that sneakers are required and she used your credit card. So maybe she's a little too free-spirited but Everything Will Be OK. That zipline excursion may be your favorite memory from the whole trip.
The One Who Packs Her Own Bed Sheets
EpiPen? Check. Pepper Spray? Got it. Inhaler? Almost had a panic attack thinking she forgot it, but she packed three. Breathe. This friend is cautious, to say the least, obsessive, to put it kindly, and wonderful, always, because she is ready for any situation. She's got the bug spray and sunscreen on hand for your afternoon stroll through the Nature Center. Her fanny pack is a fashion nightmare, but it sure was a lifesaver when she had the Tide To Go after you went and spilled that red blend on your white blouse. She's basically a superhero. An overly-prepared, obsessive, beautiful superhero.
The One With the Selfie Stick
She posts pictures of every meal she eats on vacation with the hashtag #nomnomnom. She's always two steps behind the group, holding her waffle cone against a brick wall while ice cream melts down her arm. She'll make you duck-face in front of the Everything Will Be OK sign until your face is frozen into a Daffy-esque nightmare (this happened to our friend's friend!). But later, when we're all nostalgic for our vacation, she'll have that perfect GoPro shot from the zipline platform at Treetop Quest - and she'll have it posted by the time your feet hit the ground.
You Bring the Girls, We'll Bring the Fun
Great, you've chosen your friends wisely and assembled your squad. Now pack a weekend bag, make a party playlist, and let the girls' trip begin. Girls just wanna have fun, and the fun awaits just 10 miles above Atlanta in Dunwoody.