Courtesy of Noelle Wiehe
This past August, I went on a family vacation with my best friend's family for five days. It was organized by her cousin, David, and his wife, Ashley, for their wedding anniversary.
They had invited members of their family to celebrate with them: David's, Dave and Char; two of their adult kids, Peyton and Ashton, and their plus ones; his sister, Shannon, and her husband, Jeff; a couple that was friends of the family, Danielle and Bryan; and his niece, Ashley, my best friend, along with her plus one. It was at Sandals Royal Bahamian in Nassau, Bahamas — an all-inclusive couple's resort.
I wasn't Ashley's original date, but her boyfriend had important business to tend to in the States, so she chose the next best option.
Being outside the family was a nonissue. They added me to a 13-person group chat two months before the trip. I also started to get to know the folks I would be spending time with on an island in the Caribbean while we enjoyed the amenities of an all-inclusive resort.
Just from the group chat, I learned that David read the description of every single drink on the resort's menu long before the trip. Ashley informed me that Char did not like the sun, water, the sea, or alcohol, so it would be our job to make sure she had fun with us. I also learned I'd have some competition for "best outfit" on the Flamingo-themed dress-up night.
On any given day, I'd receive anywhere between 5 and 49 messages a day in the group chat leading up to the trip. Ultimately, we landed on three theme nights: Jimmy Buffet on day one, plain white outfits on day two, and flamingos on day three.
Courtesy of Noelle Wiehe
I took charge of booking excursions for Ashley and myself. When I'd call, they'd refer to me by my first name, and Ashley's last name. I wasn't about to correct them and blow our cover. We were about to be two single girls at a couple's resort.
Everyone averaged between 5 and 10 drinks a day and miraculously didn't suffer any blurred memories or a hangover the following days. Most of the drinks were frozen, so we rationalized that we were indulging and hydrating simultaneously. We didn't care if it was top or bottom-shelf liquor as long as we were served in the pool and among good company.
Everyone came to know us as "the girls of 1208." Aside from both of us being approximately 5'2"and blonde, we were leading volleyball games in the pool or on the sand courts, cracking jokes with the bartenders, and "buying" shots for people (remember, it was all-inclusive).
Wherever the family — plus me — was at the resort, we were easy to spot. We'd be gathered at a floating table in the pool, eating a meal together between activities, convincing fully clothed people walking to their room to jump into the pool with us for a night swim, or drinking late at night with our favorite bartender. Even Char got in on the fun. She and a bartender had an understanding, so while the group would be doing shots, he'd make her a shot of water with a lime. To fool the crowd, she'd make a tequila face when she threw it back.
Courtesy of Noelle Wiehe
The theme nights made us all the more cohesive. We'd all dress up in our themed outfits for dinner. David and Ashley made reservations at a different dinner spot within the resort each night — a table for 13. We'd show up and admire each other's outfits and then eat hibachi, chow down on seafood, or slurp up some Italian pasta together.
When the flamingo theme night came, I couldn't wait to show off my customized dress. Except for David and Ashley's adult son, Ashton, whose roommate bailed just before the trip, everyone was with their significant other besides Ashley and me. I leaned into the resort assigning me her last name on our reservation, and I ordered a dress with flamingos and Ashley's face printed all over it.
Each one of Ashley's family members loves her untamed humor and life-of-the-party personality, so when they saw that she was the prominent feature of my attire, they roared with laughter and resounding approval. There was no trophy involved, but it's safe to say I took the "best outfit" title that night.
Courtesy of Noelle Wiehe
I moved away from my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, 12 years ago, and since then, so have all of my immediate family members. We're scattered across the US, so the likelihood of getting together for a trip, much less agreeing on where to go, is low.
Being invited by my best friend and made to feel like family on this trip was an adventure I never knew I needed. We took matchy sunset photos; we stuck together; we all took care of each other. If you ever get the chance, don't let being solo or being worried about feeling left out stop you from tagging along on someone else's group or family trip. Dive in. I promise you it'll be better than you could've imagined. Mine was.
