I’m in a speedboat, whizzing to my latest vacation destination. As we bounce, I try to take a self-portrait. I want to take a picture of the islands, the waves and the boats but I can’t get the couples kissing out of the background. No matter which direction I turn, I always see couples on honeymoon in my viewfinder. The boat operators and myself are the only two single people on board. Technically, I am also a part a couple – actually, a trio of single girlfriends headed to Anguilla. This trip is what I call a “we-moon”. We often reserve our dream destinations for the day that we can go there with the person who we’ve decided to spend the rest of our lives with. There are the babymoon and the honeymoon, but when can single women celebrate their life milestones with companionship and adventure and fulfill their desire for companionship? The we-moon is a trip with two girlfriends. You may be wondering what the difference is between this and a typical girls’ trip. A we-moon celebrates a major life milestone, much like a babymoon or honeymoon. It was my first novel. Single women travel so often to celebrate other people’s bachelorette, wedding or baby shower. We rarely get friends to travel for something that does not fit into a typical timeline. That is the purpose of the we-moon. It’s a phone call asking your friends to celebrate with you an achievement, just as you do for others. When planning the perfect we-moon there are a few things to consider to ensure that the trip runs smoothly. I spoke with Joy Harden Bradford PhD, author Sisterhood Heals, about how to have a destination celebration without drama. On a wemoon, you want to balance time spent together with time alone. Dr. Bradford suggests separate rooms, if you can afford it. We rented a villa in Anguilla, so everyone had their own room and bathroom. It was ideal for those who wanted to wake up early and read a book quietly on their balcony, or those who wanted to stay in bed and order room service. This location was ideal for the we-moon as our hotel offered the privacy of a home while still providing access to hotel amenities and personalised service. You should discuss your plans in advance. “I think that having a place that everyone can retreat to and have alone-time is really good, if that’s something that the group is able to do.” She says that private sleeping quarters is important. “Also, having conversations about the budget before hand is important. Some people may say, “Oh, we don’t need a five star hotel.” We’re only going to sleep there. We’re going out.’ Other people are like, “No, I prefer luxury.’ You don’t want wait until you arrive to find out there’s a different in the group on that.”
