Now that the country is slowly opening up, there have been more opportunities to travel and see a few close friends. However, it’s still imperative to maintain the appropriate social distancing guidelines and do our part to stop the coronavirus from spreading.
Two friends and I planned a weekend trip to Scottsdale, Arizona awhile back, obliviously thinking that COVID-19 would be much more contained by the time of our trip. We had already booked our accommodations and therefore couldn’t cancel without losing a sufficient amount of money. So we decided to attend the trip as planned sans the bar hopping and daily excursions. A few important things to note:
1. It’s a good idea to get tested before attending any kind of trip like this to ensure the safety of your friends and anyone else you might come into contact with.
2. I’d highly suggest road-tripping if you can to reduce the risk of contracting the virus on your way there. Our road trip was about six hours long, but when you do it with friends it goes by quickly and works as a time for you to catch up before the weekend truly begins.
Once we got to Arizona, we spent the entire weekend at our rental house and only left to go grocery shopping. Despite the circumstances, we still had an incredible, laughter-filled weekend. How? I’m sharing my guide to a quarantined girls weekend below.
Find the Cutest Airbnb Possible
First and foremost, if you’re going to be stuck inside all weekend you might as well splurge on an adorable Airbnb. This makes it feel like a more luxurious vacation experience and leaves plenty of room for comfortable sleeping arrangements. Not to mention, the Instagram photo ops are endless when you pick the right house.
We stayed in this house that was decked out in farmhouse chic decor. It’s truthfully the cutest house I’ve stayed in, maybe ever! It was fully stocked with everything we needed, from shampoo to kitchen tools. It’s also a good idea to look for a place with a pool or outdoor lounge area so you don’t get cabin fever. We spent the majority of our time in Scottsdale either inside the pool or lounging next to it in our backyard.
Before you book a place to stay, make sure everyone agrees on a budget. From there, you can narrow down your search on the Airbnb site. If you ever find yourself in Scottsdale, I recommend any of Superhost Colin’s properties. They’re all aesthetically detailed and designed!
Plan Your Meals
Of course, you can’t spend an entire weekend in a big house with no food. In order to cut down on costs, we planned the majority of our meals ahead of time. One day, we had a full-on backyard barbecue, although we couldn’t figure out how to work the grill and had to cook everything in the oven LOL. This was my favorite meal of the trip, and it also made for something fun for us to do together.
For breakfast, we stocked up on the basics – eggs, potatoes, fruit, and chicken sausage. We made this pretty much every morning to start our day (and recover from the night before). Most importantly, don’t forget to buy some treats to snack on throughout the day. It’s vacation, after all! I’d be lying if I said we didn’t rip through a whole bag of hot Cheetos and tortilla chips with guac in the first 24 hours.
Play Games
There’s no better way to get the party started than with a game or two. We played the card game Truth or Drink, which was both hilarious and a little frightening. The game comes with five decks, all at different levels of cringe-worthy questions to ask participants. If you’re asked a question, you either answer it truthfully or take a drink. Luckily, my two girlfriends and I pretty much already know every detail of each other’s lives anyway, but it was still a great way to laugh at ourselves and kick off our first night in the house.
Our Airbnb also had cornhole and giant Jenga, so this is something else to look out for when booking a place. Some other games that would be great to bring are What Do You Meme? (I’ve almost passed out from laughing so hard while playing this several times), the classic Cards Against Humanity, or any red solo cup drinking games you can think of.
Bring Props
Like I said, the potential Instagram pics are endless in a perfectly decorated house, but you can take it a step farther by bringing your own props. Of course, if you have a pool in the backyard, you need a ton of decorative floaties (you’re allowed to be a basic b*tch sometimes, OK?). Aside from floaties, it’s nice to bring a small yet unique gift for all your friends on the trip – something that an old friend of mine coined “girlfriend gifties.” I bought each of us a tropical wrap to tie over our bathing suits when we chilled by the pool, and they turned out to be so cute!
Make TikToks
Yes, I know I’m past the age of someone who should be a fan of TikTok, but it’s actually so entertaining. We learned a few different dances and played a couple of games from videos on the app (see at the end of my YouTube vlog above). It gave us something silly to do and got us up and moving after our midday, poolside naps. One piece of advice is to make TikToks before consuming any alcoholic beverages if you want to avoid any embarrassing videos of yourself being shared on the internet (please learn from my mistakes).
As cheesy as it sounds, it’s not just about what you’re doing but who you’re doing it with. After months of social isolation, it was so refreshing to catch up with my girls no matter where we did or didn’t go. If you want to see more, make sure to check out my new YouTube video HERE.
Xo, Chloe