I Took Two Girls' Trips Back-to-Back

There's something special about fully unpacking your suitcase. You know what I mean? When I travel, I want to fully immerse myself in a place, even if it's just for a couple of days. And I always want to leave wanting more. We've all been on those trips where, at the end, you're feeling depleted and just so ready to go home. My trick? I leave on a high note, still with a taste to see and do more.

So where was I?

Girls Just Want to Have Fun: San Diego Edition

My San Diego adventure began as a celebration—my niece Grace turning 21—but I felt turned into something much more meaningful. Joining forces with my sister, with our daughters it created this beautiful feminine energy that felt both powerful and rare. We're usually surrounded by all of the guys in our families, who voiced to us that they didn't love not being included (who knew they'd suddenly become interested in our activities?), but this was exactly the point: creating space for just us girls.

For Grace, the youngest of four and the only girl, and who has to constantly assert herself to be seen and heard amongst her brothers, and for my daughter Isabel. This was precious time together without their brothers' and male cousins' energy dominating the conversation. They even decided to plan a European adventure together once Grace graduates. This warmed my sister's and my hearts as it became a very real plan during this weekend together. Isabel and Grace are the perfect opposites and balance each other beautifully, so I can only imagine how epic their European adventure together will be. My sister and I might have to meet up with them?! We shall see.

We kept the trip delightfully simple: long walks along the beach, incredible meals (thank you, Isabel, for your restaurant radar!), and people-watching at The LaFayette pool club—a really fun scene, very old Hollywood vibes, with aperol spritzes the size of your head! La Jolla's beauty capped off our Southern California experience with those iconic coastal views that never get old.

New Old Friends: Santa Fe Reunion

From family to friendship, I flew straight to Santa Fe to reconnect with some of my oldest friends—women I met in college at Oregon State who are all turning 60 this year alongside me. (That was the impetus for this trip!) We call ourselves the "new old friends" because after graduating pre-Internet era, we scattered to the winds, only to reconnect at our sorority's 100th anniversary in 2022.

We stayed in a 4-bedroom Airbnb close to the Santa Fe square, which allowed togetherness and personal space. Every day we'd go on an adventure and I'd learn something entirely new about these women who I thought I knew completely - one friend used to produce radio shows, and now is involved with local politics, another is revitalizing her career as an interior designer, and another is embracing grandmother life while managing a hazelnut farm with her husband.

We're all in different phases of life, but there's something profoundly beautiful about how we can pick up right where we left off, decades melting away in seconds. That's the test of true friendship, isn't it?

Santa Fe has always held a special place in my heart. My ex-husband and I owned property here, and we came frequently as a family for the adventure and for the art. But I haven’t been back since my marriage ended, and I wasn't sure what emotions might surface on this trip…

I discovered a joy in reclaiming a place I've always loved without any negative association clouding the experience. We did absolutely everything—hiking the ancient cliffs of Bandelier National Monument (those cave dwellings dating back to the Iron Age never cease to amaze me), visiting Bishop's Lodge (still magnificent after 20 years), and yes, I went a little "ham" on the turquoise shopping!

The art scene in Santa Fe also continues to captivate me. Taking my friends to galleries I used to frequent felt like introducing old friends to new ones. I added a small friendship pot to my Pueblo pottery collection. (Acoma pottery remains my personal favorite.)

Oh, and the vintage shopping scene in Santa Fe is absolutely on fire! Kowboyz and Outpost (possibly the most perfectly curated vintage shop I've ever encountered) were standouts. The latter had the most incredible Chimayo sweater pieces. And at Valdes, owned by a sixth-generation Santa Fean, every item was museum-quality spectacular.

I ate well on both trips, but our dinner at Geronimo was nothing short of exceptional. What amazes me about Santa Fe is how places I've been visiting for years continue to maintain their quality and character—no small feat in today's rapidly changing world.

Neither trip was long enough—and that's exactly how I like it. I believe in leaving a place still hungry for more of its magic, already plotting my return before the plane takes off.

Where to next? The planning has already begun.