I traveled with friends in my early 20s and again in my 40s. I love traveling with girlfriends at different life stages.

• My friends and I traveled together through Southeast Asia in our 20s.
• We just took another trip together, this time to Bhutan, nearly two decades later. 
• Though much has changed, our friendships are still strong. 

I walked around Singapore Changi Airport feeling like a kid at summer camp for the first time. It was my first trip away from my family in a decade.

"Will I be OK?" I wondered. "What if I feel homesick and want to go home to my children and husband?"