We actually did it. If you’re a mom, you know that a girls’ trip requires strategic planning. Between the five of us, we have jobs, job searches, husbands, an ex-husband, children, senior parents, boards, committees – responsibilities. Finding a single weekend that worked for everyone’s assorted schedules is a minor miracle.
Deciding on a destination was also a feat, considering our checklist:
- Direct flights only (because who has time for a layover?)
- Equidistant for everyone (one of us lives in Arizona)
- Warmer than the frozen Northeast
- Somewhere new (harder than it sounds with this well-traveled crew)
The winner: Austin, Texas.
The “Tumbleweed” Departure
Getting to the airport was a chaotic, choreographed dance. After the holidays, when we were just back into the familiar rhythms, we disrupted them again. Some of us were zipping our luggage when the Uber pulled up, but somehow, miraculously, we all made it.
We packed “carry-on” only because moms don’t have time to wait at baggage claim or risk a flight change that waylays these carefully chosen capsule collections.
Like a group of coordinated tumbleweeds, we rolled out of our daily routines and managed to meet in the Lone Star State. By 4:00 p.m. on Friday, the Sally O’Malley Austin group text finally became real life. For the youngsters, Sally O’Malley is the Molly Shannon Saturday Night Live character who hilariously kicks, stretches, and dances while proudly declaring, “I’m 50 years old!” This trip was to celebrate our 50th birthdays the Sally O’Malley way—with lighthearted fun!
We were clinking aperitifs at a sunny corner table on Annie Street with:
No meals to make.
No pickups or drop-offs.
No place to be.
Just us. Right here, right now.
The Magic of Friends Who Knew You When
There’s a unique kind of comfort that comes from friends who knew you before—before marriage, kids, and the mental load that never clocks out. We’ve seen each other through every age and stage. Being together keeps the pre-mom versions of ourselves alive. These are the women who keep you honest because they remember who you were at twenty and, without whom, you may not have made it to fifty.
Our Austin itinerary was a perfect sample of the chill local vibes. South Congress for our impulse shopping and delicious local fare. Rainey & 6th Street for day drinking and live music. Downtown for DJs and dancing. Meeting a very minor celebrity – there was a quick Google search to confirm this – added to the festivities.
We were nostalgic at the club, reminiscing about our days when it was all new and exciting, and cackled at the memories. We people-watched, created narratives for the “guy in the suit,” and counted the endless times the bottle-service lightstick dancers and drummers performed. We shocked a local UTA student when we told him our age after he took his shot with one of our friends. We danced. We laughed. We stayed out later than we would at home. And it felt really, really good.
Pajamas & Perspective
The best moments, though, weren’t the nights out. They were the in-between times spent back at the house, snuggling on sofas in pajamas, snacking, talking about everything and nothing. Back in college, our conversations centered around big dreams and wild nights. Now, it’s about family and careers—and what kind of eyeglasses we need. We’re the same girls. Just a little older. A lot wiser. And more aware of how special this time is.
Home Is Where the Heart Is
While my friends returned home smoothly, my flight was delayed for six hours. I ended up walking through my door at 2:00 a.m. I woke up to an email from the school nurse about a lice outbreak, piles of laundry, and, of course, everyone was sick. I thought to myself, well, we’re back, very grateful for the past weekend of escape, but still nowhere I’d rather be.
A week later, an epic Northeastern snowstorm grounded flights, making me realize just how lucky we were to be together. The Sally O’Malley Austin chat couldn’t agree more and wants to know, “Where are we going next?”
