Most Friends Can’t Coordinate Dinner While Mine Plan International Trips
A celebration of the chaotic, committed, passport‑ready friendships
Most friend groups can’t even agree on a dinner reservation. Someone’s “not doing carbs,” someone else “already ate,” someone’s running late, someone can’t afford the venue and someone mysteriously disappears the moment the words Where should we go hit the chat.
Meanwhile, my friend group? We’re out here planning international trips like it’s our part‑time job. Oh wait, it technically is my job so I suppose it helps when you have one in the friend group always planting the seed.
While other groups are still debating sushi vs. tacos, we’re comparing flight prices, comparing outfits, dropping hotel stay links, and casually saying things like, “Should we just do Turks & Caicos?” We don’t pick a restaurant — we pick a country.
And honestly? I’m so proud of us.
It’s a big enough challenge for me to get a boyfriend to commit to a trip. Actually, it’s just challenging to get a man to commit to plans on a Saturday. These men are clearly part of the other friend groups who can’t even plan dinner.
Getting a group of adults to commit to anything — let alone a trip that requires PTO, passports, and a full itinerary — is nothing short of miraculous. It’s diplomacy. It’s logistics. It’s blind optimism. It’s friendship at its highest difficulty setting.
What’s even more impressive is the diversity of our friend group all being in different places in our lives to come together and make it happen. Some are married long term, some are newlyweds that we’ve known since the beginning of their love story, some are divorced, some are newly engaged and some of us are as single as our passports are stamped. But, it just works.
And when it works? When the trip actually makes it out of the group chat? It becomes the kind of memory that bonds you for life. 📱
When the Trip Actually Makes It Out of the Group Chat
There’s a moment — a sacred, almost spiritual moment — when a group trip crosses the threshold from chaotic fantasy to actual reality. It’s when the group chat shifts from memes and unhinged voice notes to… logistics. Real logistics. The kind that require calendars, commitment, and courage.
It always starts with one brave soul typing the words that change everything:
“Okay, but seriously… are we doing this.”
Suddenly, everyone plays into a role. You have the friend who always asks to go on trips with you but will never commit. They are the ones that watch but go silent. You have the core group that you know will always say “count me in” because we can’t bear the FOMO that will come from missing out on the memories from another international debauchery. You have the friends who are already looking up flights and hotels before we even decide where we’re going and the others who just say “tell me what to book” and just show up.
And then it happens. The moment that separates the dreamers from the doers:
Someone finally books their flight.
That’s the point of no return. That’s when the trip officially escapes the gravitational pull of the group chat. That’s when everyone else has to either commit or admit they were never serious.
If you’re lucky, your friend group has a points guy who travels so much for work that he accumulates the highest level of status and invites everyone on his itinerary to book business class for under $200 per person. If your friend group doesn’t have that guy, start looking for one.
And when the confirmations start rolling in — seat selections, hotel reservations, business-lounge access, passport renewals — you realize something magical:
This isn’t just a trip anymore. It’s a collective triumph.
A logistical miracle. A testament to the fact that your friend group is built different.
🌍 We’re Not Just Friends — We’re a Travel Task Force
Every group has roles, and ours are elite:
The Planner (this is usually me as the Travel Industry hook up)
The Points Guy
The Flight Deal Hunter
The Spreadsheet Queen
The “I’ll Go Anywhere” Wildcard
The Boat Guy (yes, our trips often involve being on a boat)
The Human Yelp Review
The One Who Packs Like They’re Fleeing the Country
The One Who Packs 20 Minutes Before Leaving for the Airport
Together, we’re unstoppable. Separately, we’re… well, still unstoppable, but with less shared luggage.
🧳 We Don’t Just Travel — We Commit
We’ve mastered the art of:
Coordinating PTO like a synchronized swim team
Booking flights at 2 a.m. because “the price dropped $14”
Pretending we’ll wake up early to journal and drink water
Packing all brand new outfits we bought for the trip that we absolutely will not wear but may gift to our trip mates
Fixing our schedules so that we never miss a sunset
Creating itineraries that are 40% realistic and 60% delusion
And somehow, it all works.
Because the moment we step off that plane — sleep‑deprived, over‑packed, possibly over-stimulated and buzzing with excitement — everything clicks. The chaos becomes comedy. The planning becomes payoff. The group chat becomes a living, breathing adventure and our base of sharing the hilarious or oh-so-cute photos we took of each other.
🌄 We Collect Memories, Not Just Menus
Some friend groups bond over brunch. Ours bond over:
Getting lost in foreign cities
Catching boats and daily sunsets
Themed nights and matching outfits for the cutest photos
Laughing until we cry while pregaming in someone’s hotel room
Sharing chargers, snacks, beverages and emotional support
Turning every mishap into a story we’ll tell forever
We don’t just go out to dinner — we go out into the world.
And that’s the difference.
💛 Because These Are the Friendships Worth Traveling For
Anyone can show up for a meal. But showing up for a passport‑stamped, time‑zone‑crossing, memory‑making adventure? That’s a different level of friendship. That’s family.
It’s commitment. It’s chaos. It’s love. It’s choosing each other — not just for a night out, but for a whole experience.
Most friend groups can’t even plan a trip to dinner. Mine plans international trips. And honestly? I wouldn’t trade them for anything. From Newport, to Nashville, to Cabo, to Las Vegas, to Tulum, to London and Paris, to the Mediterranean, to Miami, to Turks & Caicos and the Bahamas, I can’t wait to see where the next adventure takes us and the memories that come along the way.
✈️ Girl Math: The Unofficial Financial Philosophy Powering Women’s Travel Trips
Girls trip to Tulum
If you’ve ever justified a plane ticket because “future me deserves this,” or declared that a hotel upgrade is “basically free” when split four ways, congratulations — you’re already fluent in Girl Math, the playful, logic system that makes travel feel more joyful and a lot less guilt‑ridden.
Girl Math didn’t appear out of nowhere. It grew out of a generation of women where everything — housing, groceries, travel, even basic fun — costs more than it ever has. And let’s be honest—we’re no longer marrying men to help out with our financial situation. It’s our way of saying: If the world is going to financially screw me anyway, I’m at least going to find a loophole to enjoy where I can.
Girl Math isn’t about ignoring financial responsibility. It’s about reframing spending in a way that aligns with how women actually experience travel: socially, emotionally, and with a healthy dose of humor. And honestly, it works.
Let’s break down how Girl Math shows up on female or solo travel trips — and why it makes those trips even better.
💄 1. The Pre‑Trip Purchases That Don’t Count
According to Girl Math, anything you buy before the trip is an investment in the experience — and therefore not a real expense.
New swimsuit? “I’ll wear it for multiple trips and summers to come, so it’s basically free.”
Matching vacation outfits? “Memories and the cute photos are priceless.”
New luggage? “Purchasing a new carry-on saves me time and money from checking in.”
The logic isn’t about denial; it’s about acknowledging that preparation is part of the fun. Women often bond through planning, and Girl Math turns that bonding into a guilt‑free zone.
👗 2. The “Save Here, Splurge There” Equation
Girl Math thrives on balance — or at least the illusion of it. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way women prep for travel. We’ll hunt down $12 SHEIN dresses, $6 sunglasses, and a $9 bikini set… all while boarding a $10,000 vacation like it’s nothing.
Because in Girl Math, outfits are temporary, but the experiences are forever.
It’s not hypocrisy. It’s prioritization.
Cheap outfits = “I’m being financially responsible.”
Expensive trip = “I’m investing in my happiness.”
A once‑in‑a‑lifetime excursion = “You can’t put a price on memories.”
We want to look good, but we want to feel even better — and that feeling comes from the trip itself. The laughter, the late nights, the beach days, the inside jokes, the photos we’ll scroll through for years. The clothes are just props; the moments are the main event.
Girl Math says: If I save money on the little things, I’ve earned the right to splurge on the big things.
🧮 3. Cost Per Wear… But Make It Travel
Girl Math loves a good cost‑per‑use calculation. On trips, this becomes cost‑per‑memory.
A $200 excursion? If you talk about it for the next five years, that’s practically pennies per emotional return.
A $50 beach hat? If it appears in 12 photos, the cost per Instagram moment is unbeatable.
A new $2,000 Louis Vuitton bag that I’ve been obsessing over? I will be wearing it for life and I saved $400 getting it tax-free overseas! And the stories that will surround this special purchase… priceless. It’s not just a bag, but the bag I got at the flagship, two-story Louis Vuitton store in Paris strolling along the Champs-Elysees.
Travel isn’t just about the activity — it’s about the story you’ll tell later. Girl Math simply quantifies that truth.
👯 4. Splitting Costs = Everything Is Cheaper
One of the greatest gifts of women’s group travel is the communal approach to spending.
A $400 villa split among six friends? “Practically free.”
An upgrade from Garden to Ocean View split between friends? “No brainer.”
Shared Ubers? “Cheaper than staying home.”
A charcuterie board for the table? “Group expense — doesn’t count.”
Girl Math thrives in community. When women travel together, the financial load becomes lighter, and the emotional payoff becomes bigger.
🙋♀️ 4. Investing in Future You
One of my favorite and most-used forms of Girl Math is the art of spending today so future you can thrive on vacation. It’s not delusion — it’s long‑term financial strategy with a side of serotonin.
· Pre‑Booking an All‑Inclusive = Future Me Lives for Free. There is no greater Girl Math high than stepping onto an all‑inclusive resort property and realizing everything is already paid for. Suddenly, every meal, every drink, every poolside snack is “free.” Honestly, I’ve spent less on a week at an all‑inclusive than I have on groceries, gas, and random Target runs at home. That’s not a vacation — that’s financial optimization.
· Gambling for Future Discounts. Is it risky? Sure. Is it Girl Math? Absolutely. If you gamble enough on a cruise or at certain hotels, you can qualify for discounted or even free future trips. So yes, go play that roulette, sis — you’re not losing money, you’re investing in future vacations.
· Loyalty Points: The Girl Math Retirement Plan. Hotel chains and airlines practically beg you to earn points, and Girl Math says it would be irresponsible not to. The more you travel, the more freebies you unlock — room upgrades, lounge access, bonus nights. It’s like a rewards program for being fabulous.
· Travel Credit Cards = Future Flights in Every Purchase. If you’re not earning points on every coffee, grocery run, or impulse buy, you’re leaving future vacations on the table. Travel cards turn everyday spending into flights, hotels, and upgrades. That’s not debt — that’s an investment to future joy.
· Booking Your Next Trip Before You Leave. One of the most powerful Girl Math moves: booking your return trip while you’re still on vacation. Resorts and cruise lines often offer massive discounts if you book before you leave. And honestly, what better time to commit to another trip than when you’re sun‑kissed, relaxed, and convinced you’re moving abroad permanently.
🍹 5. Vacation Calories and Vacation Dollars Follow the Same Rules
Just like vacation calories “don’t count,” vacation dollars operate in a parallel universe.
The $18 cocktail is part of the ambiance and support of the local economy.
The overpriced airport snack is a survival tactic.
Ordering the region’s signature dish isn’t indulgence — it’s research. You’re educating yourself about other cultures. That $28 entrée? A tuition fee.
The souvenir bracelet is a future heirloom.
The rooftop bar is an ROI on excellent photos.
Travel Girl Math says: if it enhances the vibe, it’s worth it.
👜 6. Time Is Money — And Girl Math Values Time Highly
Women often juggle work, caregiving, emotional labor, and social commitments. So when they finally take a trip, time becomes the most precious currency.
That’s why Girl Math justifies:
Paying extra for a direct flight—Bonus Girl Math: If you take the red-eye flight, you pay for one less hotel night and increase your time abroad by having a whole extra day!
Upgrading to a hotel closer to the city center—Bonus Girl Math: staying in the city also saves you money by paying less on transportation if it’s a walkable city.
Booking the spa appointment instead of “roughing it”.
It’s not indulgence — it’s efficiency.
🌍 7. Experiences Are Assets
Girl Math reframes travel as an investment in personal growth, friendships, and mental health.
You don’t “spend” on travel. You gain:
Confidence
Connection
Perspective
Joy
A camera roll full of serotonin
In this framework, travel isn’t a luxury — it’s a form of self‑care.
💖 Why Girl Math Works for Women Travelers
At its core, Girl Math is a playful way of acknowledging something deeper: women deserve rest, adventure, and pleasure without apology.
It’s not about ignoring budgets. It’s about giving yourself permission to enjoy the life you work hard for.
And honestly? If Girl Math is what gets you on that plane with your best friends, it’s worth its weight in gold.