Take a hike, girlfriend – with me!

I’m a time/task cruncher. Even though they say ‘multi-tasking’ isn’t efficient, I still do it – all the time. I like to fold clothes and talk on the phone (headset), read a magazine on the treadmill and have 20-40 websites open simultaneously. So the prospect of combining being with my favorite female friends AND doing something I want/need to do, is perfect in my busy little world.

One of my favorite examples is taking a walk with a friend. Obviously it combines exercising with catching up with someone who matters to me. But it’s more than that. It’s spending time, being outside (and sometimes inside), and clearing our heads while sharing with each other.

So today, day 19 of our Month of Friendship, our girlfriend recommendation is so simple. Go for a walk with your girlfriend. Conversations just happen. Miles of moments like catching up on big and little issues. I know from my girlfriends walking group – we catch up on big stuff like cancer and jobs to little things like our relationships with our parents (okay, so that can be big sometimes!) to where we’ve shopped and eaten that week. It’s just a natural flow of updates on our lives, dreams, hopes, and stories that one can only share with a friend.

Really, it’s the gift of time we’re sharing. Time together. Time to catch up on life and all the highs and lows life brings. Time to create and share memories, time to reflect and reconnect, time spent in honest sharing and caring. That’s its – it’s time. It really doesn’t matter if we’re walking, shopping, running, working out or knitting together – we’re engaged in spending time together. We enjoy that time together. And our friendship benefits, just by spending time.

Ask a friend to meet for a walk. Through a park or neighborhood, around a lake or mall, or even on a bike or rollerblades, do whatever you need to do to spend time together. Then, stop and think about how it makes you feel – relaxed, happy, less stressed and blessed.  What can you do to have this feeling(s) on a more frequent basis? How can you stay close with your friends?

Take a hike, girlfriend. Go walk with a friend. Or bike, ,or run, or whatever – meet for coffee. Just spend time together. Life is better together with your girlfriends. Go have a great life – together!

Share your girlfriend walks (or any way to spend time together) story and inspire other women to spend time with their friends!

Days 1-18 of our Month of Friendship:

• Day 1: Throw a girlfriend dinner party
• Day 2: Girlfriend Gratitude
• Day 3: Social Media Friends
• Day 4: Make a memory gift for your girlfriend
• Day 5: Phone a Friend!
• Day 6: Plan a Girlfriend Trip
• Day 7: Pamper your Pals
• Day 8: Make a Friend Laugh
• Day 9: Start a Girlfriend Tradition
• Day 10: Go Shopping with your Girlfriends
• Day 11: Remember a friend you’ve lost, in honor of 9/11
• Day 12: Make dinner for your girlfriend
• Day 13: Send your girlfriend a card
• Day 14: Host a Girlfriend Happy Hour, GNO
• Day 15: Practice Random Acts of Kindness
• Day 16: Get a Mani/Pedi Together
• Day 17: Organize your closet with Girlfriend
• Day 18:  Have a girlfriend movie or wii party