A Girlfriend Getaway

It was supposed to be the biggest snowstorm in the last two years, but that didn’t stop me and an intrepid group of moms to hit the road for a two day spa getaway.

I was a little worried about driving my seven-year-old minivan on the snowy highway, so I played it smart by borrowing a brand new 2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Edition with all the bells and whistles to keep us safe and entertained.

The reason for the getaway? A combination of work and pleasure. YMC is a virtual business, so while some of the core staff who build the site on a daily basis have met in real life, the whole team had never gotten together in person – ever. We wanted to hang, relax and get to know each other better.

Natalie, our social media mom, does not like being a passenger. She’s an avid car enthusiast who prefers to be behind the wheel, especially in a vehicle like the Odyssey with all the cool bells and whistles.  But, being the boss does have its perks. We agreed I would navigate us out of the city and Nat would take over half way through our hour and a half drive.

Having said that, tech savvy Natalie took control of the navigation system and input the address for St. Anne’s Spa. I have to say this system was the coolest, most intuitive NAVI I’ve ever seen. Being a bit of a gadget girl myself, this alone made me want to own this car. (Yes, I’m that girl that buys a car for cup holders as much as for safety).

We loaded our luggage into the huge trunk and hit the road, bracing for the treacherous driving conditions. We brought extra blankets and extra food (there’s a small Cool Box built into the console), just in case we were stuck on the highway. The snow started to blow, but the Odyssey’s tires seemed to grip the pavement. We all relaxed, more confident we would arrive in one piece.

I shrieked with excitement – there was XM^® Satellite Radio! We cranked up the tunes  (12 speakers!) – jumping from the 80’s retro station to my fave – Spectrum’s adult art rock. Time flew by as we made great time to the spa.

The party had begun!

Then Eileen, who had flown in from BC, whipped out a Sex in the City DVD. She and Natalie put on the wireless headsets to watch an episode on the massive 16.2-inch screen, while I was able to enjoy satellite radio station Spectrum blasting tunes by my new fave band Mumford & Sons.

Meanwhile, sprawled out in the third row, Jen, our organized project manager took full advantage of this down time to get some work done. She was relieved to find a 115-volt power outlet so she could power up her Mac and charge her faulty battery.

So there we were, four of us heading to bond at the spa, each of us keeping busy separately. 

Unfortunately for Nat, we made better time than anticipated and she never had a chance to get behind the wheel on the way there (insert evil laughter from me here).

When we arrived at St. Anne’s in the snow storm it was a winter wonderland.

We met up with the rest of the team and spent the next two days getting pampered and reconnected while the snow continued to fall.

And if you’re wondering…. Yes, I did let Natalie drive us home while I answered to a backlog of email on my computer.  The perfect end to a relaxing girlfriends getaway!