Guilty Pleasure Reunion Trip

The thing that I have missed the most since our move to Texas four months ago has definitely been my group of friends. I have been so fortunate to hang out with a great bunch of fun and sassy ladies over the years, and I am reminded that those kind of connections can be rare and hard to cultivate. Add to that, in the last several years I have taken many opportunities to travel to some fun places with my girls, many times in the fall.

So, I have been looking for a good reason to get together with my Page gals. We had our big bash on Lake Powell before I left, but the months here have been kind of long for me. I should say that I have met some really cool women here in Amarillo, and they have really gone out of their way to make me feel at home. Still, I am kind of a lazy friend, and I like to have the easy give and take that only comes from years of knowing each other.

In October, I made the realization that the next Twilight movie was going to be opening in mid-November. I am sort of a closet fan. I am not one of those people who wears her Twilight t-shirt or has the Edward screensaver, or sets up the wolf pack calendar on her desk. I mean come on, I have degrees (plural) in English. I am supposed to enjoy more high brow literature, right. Whatever, it is my guilty pleasure, yes I said pleasure! I enjoy the Twilight books. Even more than that, I enjoy enjoying them with my friends. It is fluffy good-natured fun! Now the movies I admit are not all that great. Of course as with any movie based on a novel, the book is always better. The real fun is in all the hype. For the last three movies, my girlfriends and I have gone to the midnight showing in the Page movie theater. We have worn plastic vampire teeth, waited in the freezing cold, even set up a big tailgate style buffet outside the theater with vampire themed treats.

What better excuse to get together and carry on the Twilight Tradition of midnight merriment?! The plan was hatched to meet in Durango, CO where my sister lives, catch the movie and then make a weekend out of it. Fabulous!

It took some convincing of hubbies and shuffling of children, but with some effort, four of my dearest coolest friends made their plan to meet me in the four corners. I set out from Amarillo on a windy (of course) Thursday morning for the seven hour drive. My friends, Shandiin, Nicole L., Penni, and Debbie departed from Page after lunch for the four hour trek. I arrived first at Michelle's house, and I must say, walking into their house after four months in Texas felt a little bit like coming home. My sis and I had some time to catch up and do a little shopping before the Page crew arrived.

At dinner time the ladies rolled into town, and we met up at the movie theater to purchase the tickets that were the premis for the gathering. We actually opted to wait for a matinee showing on Friday since we had all had a long drive. Even my friend Debbie (not a Twilight fan) agreed to come with for the movie despite many vows and oathes to never participate in the Twilight debauchery. It was so exciting to be together. It felt like we picked up right where we left off. We chatted and laughed as we took in dinner at a cool local restaurant in downtown Durango. Once we returned to Michelle's to settle in for the night, it was almost like a pre-teen slumber party. We stayed up into the wee hours just enjoying being together.

The next day was our Twilight day, but the movie was at 1:30. We spent the morning getting a little exercise walking and jogging around Michelle's (and I think some of her neighbors) property. We shopped a bit in the tiny Durango mall which is still a treat considering Walmart is the extent of shopping in Page. Movie time arrived, and we headed to the theater. Michelle met up with us and provided some plastic teeth and candy wedding ring pops (I love that girl). Now, it is not my intent to write a movie review, but suffice it to say I thought this was the best Twilight movie to date, and I enjoyed it.

After our movie fun had another nice dinner downtown and a giggly night staying up way too late. Saturday we got up early for a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory sale that was going on at the fairgrounds in Durango. Can you say 'chocolate overdose'. Oh, the deliciousness! To assuage some of the guilt over eating chocolate covered pretzels and carmels for breakfast, we did a nice little jog/walk along the river. That afternoon, we capped off our weekend excursion with a trip to the nail salon for pedicures. Sheer perfection with the exception of a dropped bottle of blood red polish that splattered all over the walls, floor, and Nicole's favorite jeans (sorry nail people).

My gals had to head home Saturday evening, you know the whole 'back to life, back to reality' ditty. What a wonderful time we had, but always too short! I stayed the night so as to have a nice bunch of daylight for my trek home to Texas. I may have shed a little tear or two as I headed off into the sunrise Sunday morning. Not all tears of sad though. Really they were little tears of deep gratitude, a profound sense of my good fortune to have these wonderful women in my life! Now I am back home in Texas, and I have one more fabulous memory of a fun filled girls' trip. I know there will be more to come. I look forward to it. Thanks to my sis and thanks to my besties. You girls rock!