- While my daughter was dating her first boyfriend, I befriended his mother.
- I wanted to go on a cruise and invited her, her mother and her daughter. We had a lot of fun.
- We recently took another cruise together even though my daughter and her ex are separated.
While my 14-year-old daughter was with her first boyfriend, I became close friends with his mom. My teenagers aren’t fans of cruise vacations, so when Disney Cruise Line opened its new private island, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, and my family didn’t want to go, I asked my youngest mom friend to came with me to check. that outside. We decided to go to one multi-generational navigation – a room consisting of me, my friend, her mother and her 18-year-old daughter – and it was the most fun cruise I’ve ever been on, thanks to the company.
My daughter’s dating attempt ended with one divisionlike most first relationships. Thankfully, she and her ex have remained friends, and a few months after their relationship ended, when I wanted to sail on Disney’s newest cruise ship, the Disney Treasure, and needed some good travel buddies, I came back to my travel buddies. . Again, we traveled as a multi-generational foursome and again, it was extremely fun and relaxing.
Here’s what I really like journey of many generations with girlfriends and why I hope to travel many, many times together in the future.
The best way to get to know others is through travel – and shared interests
The author and her friends all love Disney. Courtesy of Terri Peters
On our first cruise together, I had never traveled with my friend, her daughter or her mother and had no idea how the trip would go. Fortunately, I had a great time too fit right into their family dynamic. We bonded immediately and spent the entire cruise talking, laughing and getting to know each other better. We left our first cruise with so many wonderful memories that I felt instantly connected to each one.
Not only did we travel well together, we also had common interests. I am someone who is fine with being labeled a “Disney adult” and I appreciate other adults sharing my love for the magic of Disney. As with anything you’re passionate about, traveling with a group of people who also appreciate a special kind of experience is pure joy.
From sipping lattes with Disney art on board the ship to dancing to a Junkanoo show on Lookout Cay with Mickey and pals, there’s nothing better than experiencing time on vacation with people who appreciate it locally of teenagers who complain. Disney cruises can be expensive, and enjoying one with a group of people who were genuinely excited to be there made it all feel worth it.
I’m not related to my mom, so borrowing my friend’s mom was special
The author and her friends recently took their second cruise together. Courtesy of Terri Peters
I haven’t had one relationship with my mother for many years, and a long time ago a therapist told me that the best way to deal with the sadness that sometimes comes with a breakup is to spend time with other moms you look up to. My friend’s mother is one in a million, and going on vacation with her felt very special since I rarely spend time with grown women who are the age of someone who could be my mother. I’ve learned that it’s okay to borrow other people’s moms as people I look up to, and traveling twice with this particular woman has been a treat.
I laughed so hard my stomach hurt
The author enjoyed being silly with her friends as they traveled together. Courtesy of Terri Peters
One of my favorite parts traveling with this group of women it was mealtime, when we sat in a restaurant and talked, sharing stories, giving each other advice, and discussing where we were each at this point in our lives.
In addition to some amazing conversations, we had so much to laugh about, from the silly photos captured by the ship’s photographers to the inside jokes we’d made during our days on the ship. Laughter really is the best medicine and I left both trips feeling so much joy after arguing with my friends for days on end.
We both behaved like children and enjoyed the adults only areas
They traveled well together and enjoyed acting as children again. Courtesy of Terri Peters
While we definitely took advantage of spaces like adult-only pools or no-kids-allowed restaurants on our Disney cruises, we also made sure to experience the more kid-friendly aspects as well. From seeing quality Disney shows on Broadway every night, to watching fireworks on the upper deck of the ship, to standing in line to meet characters like Captain Minnie Mouse, my travel party wasn’t afraid to embrace their children interior, which made the trip even more fun. . Something I often tell my teenage daughter is that she needs to find friends who aren’t afraid to be silly and who don’t take themselves too seriously, so being able to model that for her with my friendships is important to me.
These women remain some of my closest friends
The author is still close to the women she traveled with and their families spend time together. Courtesy of Terri Peters
With two cruises under our belts, I feel more connected than ever to these amazing women, something that is a dream come true for someone like me, who recently embarked on make friends that would give more meaning to my life and challenge me to become the best version of myself.
Sailing with three generations of women has taught me a lot about myself, shown me how far I’ve come in life, and given me things to strive for as I continue to age. In my friend’s 18-year-old daughter, I see so much strength and determination, qualities that remind me to keep setting goals for myself and dreaming big, even at 44 years old.
My friend’s mom shares some wisdom on everything from her secrets to a nearly 50-year marriage to stories about what she’s learned over the years in her career. And my friend who is my age? Traveling together has made us even closer and connected us in a very unique way.
Furthermore, all separations aside, our families remain close, and the three of them remain some of my dearest friends, so much so that we spend the holidays together and are planning more trips as a quartet.
