A few weeks ago a work trip had me off to Panama for a few days. Trevor was going to come along, but the hassles of figuring out travel, work schedules, and kiddo coverage proved too daunting at the time. A few days after we decided he would forego this trip in favor of a long weekend elsewhere with just the two of us, I was out with a couple of girlfriends and I casually lobbed the question, “hey, wanna go to Panama?” I would be in meetings for most of my time there, and it really did seem to be a shame to not have someone along to enjoy the beautiful property. And if I was going to have someone, why not two? The question was a part of larger discussion we were having about just saying “yes” to things we want to do in and with our lives, which at the moment involved everything from savoring time together, enjoying our glass of wine, and doing the unexpected in the future. I was the lucky beneficiary of the last point, when they let me know a few days later that they had jumped on the chance to purchase some last minute tickets and would be coming along with me on the trip.
The meeting schedule and travel times dictated that we arrive a day early, which allowed me to spend the full day with my gals, and that was truly a gift. I wasn’t sure when or if I would see them during the rest of the trip, as I had meetings, meals and excursions planned with the full group.

I have no idea what purpose this structure – which was a good distance out from the beach – serves, but it looked awfully cool, in a Lost kind of way.
A perk of traveling with a friend who is a trainer? Planks in paradise.
I think we were all surprised at the impressive skyline.
Can you go to Panama without going on a bus trip to visit the Panama Canal? I could have been convinced yes (with little to no effort), but it was on the group’s agenda and who am I to thumb my nose at history, or more important, at the organizer of the excursion?
By the end of our group tour on the last day, we were all grumbling at having a last stop in Old Town. We were tired and hot, and hoping to enjoy some daylight back at the resort before an early flight home the next morning. But the destination proved to be lovely, especially for those of us that passed on the street shopping in favor of sitting at that rooftop bar you see on the bottom right of the photo, enjoying a local beer.

Reality Check. I actually had a fair amount of anxiety over bringing a couple of girlfriends along on a work-related trip where the invitation was pretty clearly for significant others (and by that I assume they meant just one significant other!). I didn’t let my friends know the full extent of this until we were in Panama, but I had nothing to worry about – within twelve hours or so of arrival, those delightful girls had connected with others in the group, had gotten their own invitations, and were along for all aspects of the adventure. If you can call hanging out with a bunch of lawyers an adventure.