I have written more than a few times about my Manic Mommies, as well as my annual pilgrimage to Escape with them the first weekend in November each year.  Since there is no Escape this year, I thought it would be nice to flip through my photos, my memories, and revisit those I am missing today.

I first started listening to the Manic Mommies podcast just days after their second Escape, which was a cruise that I could tell was a not-to-miss event.  I immediately made plans to attend the next escape in Napa, but my plans ended up falling through at the last second.  By the time November came around again, I knew I was going to be showing up in San Antonio for the third annual event.

 

When I landed in San Antonio and made my way to the reception, I was freaking out.  I knew no one except the two stars of the podcast who I knew VERY well, but only in a eaves-dropping-stalker kind of way.  I remember vividly sitting down at a table with the Roman sisters (minus Rosa who was having a baby) and made a new friend in Laura too.  Of course I felt like I knew them all nearly immediately, we were all cut from the same cloth after all.  I spent the rest of the weekend teamed up with Laura and her friend learning all about San Antonio and Twitter as we participated in a scavenger hunt.  There were countless new faces to remember, and new friends were made from all over.

  • Me and the Manic Mommies

    Me and the Manic Mommies

    This was such a fan-girl moment, and I hadn’t even hoped to dream of getting a chance to talk to them
  • Mom U - Meet the Author

    Mom U - Meet the Author

    I really enjoyed meeting author Elizabeth McCracken and took her heart-wrenching book, An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination, to my heart.
  • My new friend Laura

    My new friend Laura

    This is Laura, one of my very first Manic Mommies friends, and she even forgave me for going all fan-girl when I met her
  • Team Margaritas

    Team Margaritas

    Margaritas were on the Scavenger Hunt weren’t they??
  • Kinect in the hosts' suite

    Kinect in the hosts' suite

    I loved watching them rock the brand new Kinect that I was REALLY hoping to take home with me

Nothing could keep me away from Escaping the following year.  I was so excited to see Aari, Kat, Laura, the Roman girls (now including Rosa), and SO MANY MORE again.  Thanks to Chevy I was able to drive a Traverse to the beautiful New Orleans, and I was able to bring my own New Orleans expert and friend Melissa with me too.  I wrote about that road trip in more detail here and here.  I now know that the only way to eat a praline is when it is only seconds old and I learned how to make them just like that as well thanks to the New Orleans School of Cooking.  

  • TishaMarie - Street Performer

    TishaMarie - Street Performer

    I got a chance to play the water glasses for everyone
  • Manic Mommy Huricane

    Manic Mommy Huricane

    You simply HAVE to kick it off right with a Manic Mommies Escape signature drink, it would be rude not to
  • As if

    As if

    As if you could come to New Orleans and not have any evidence of a visit here, your washing machine can still taste the powdered sugar after you get home
  • Chevy Road Trip

    Chevy Road Trip

    Chevy knows how to make Manic Mommies feel like royalty, because there is nothing like a Chevy Road Trip in a Traverse
  • Melissa drives

    Melissa drives

    Believe it or not, I actually let Melissa drive he Traverse just a little bit. She wanted me to be able to take in the scenery as we drive into the city.
  • New Orleans

    New Orleans

    One of my first photos coming into New Orleans
  • Bourban Street

    Bourban Street

    I wish I could say that this was as close as we got, but I will say that was the most memorable block I have ever walked IN MY LIFE.
  • Pirate Bar

    Pirate Bar

    We spent a lot of time here, well until that one dude…
  • Andoui Sausage on the fire

    Andoui Sausage on the fire

    This was right before our mixology class at the Herman Grimma House

As usual, the Manic Mommies picked Savannah, another city to which I had never been before.  Fortunately Chevy came through with a Chevy Road trip in a Traverse so I was able to bring along two of my best friends.  Savannah has a city wide policy to put something in every morsel of food to make it taste like it was dropped straight from Heaven.  I “ran” my first ever 5k, and FINALLY took a Chevy convertible joyride too. 

  • My amazing view

    My amazing view

    What better way to escape than to wake up to this view from your room at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa
  • Road Tripees

    Road Tripees

    Long time friends Shalene and Laura got to come with me on this Escape thanks to Otie and Chevy for hooking us up with a ride.
  • I don't even know

    I don't even know

    Can’t remember what it was, but I can tell you it tasted like Heaven
  • Don't ask

    Don't ask

    Again, tasted like Savannah
  • Stalker photo

    Stalker photo

    Kristin and Donna Adamo, man that chick was FUNNY
  • First 5k

    First 5k

    In honor of Kristin’s birthday I signed up to run/walk my first 5k EVER, and I am pretty sure it took two and a half hours
  • The Chevys

    The Chevys

    I always love looking at the pretties that Chevy brings for us to ride in, but these were waiting on me after my long leisurely walk that was my first 5k
  • Savannah Tours

    Savannah Tours

    Forrest Gump jumped onto our Tour Bus but I think he needed a different bus
  • My chauffeur

    My chauffeur

    Laura gets the first Chevy Joyride and she took me all of the way to South Carolina
  • Does he look scared?

    Does he look scared?

    While I did get to drive too, Shalene decided to stick to the back seat with our cute bodyguard
  • The reason for it all

    The reason for it all

    I guess this is the last time I saw them 🙁
  • Beach babes

    Beach babes

    Laura and I both agree that you can’t visit so close to the ocean and not go put your feet in the sand…even if it is dark
  • I love this place

    I love this place

    One of the many, many architectural skyline photos I took
  • Our gorgeous Ride

    Our gorgeous Ride

    I think we named her Savannah, which probably won’t make much sense to her next admirers. Thanks AGAIN to Chevy for their years of sponsorship!!

Last November I cancelled my trip to the New Mexico Escape (home to the famous Rosa) due to a commitment I had made at home.  I promised myself when I made the decision to not go, I was not going to be bitter about it no matter what.  That promise was put to the test when later that year Erin and Kristin decided to put their mics down and step away from the podcast.  This was such a crushing blow that most of us still can’t fully process it and few of us acknowledge it at all.  Denial is a powerful tool, but none of us can ignore the fact that we are supposed to be some place warm and having a cocktail together tonight.  Fortunately, all of us try to make the most of these connections to visit with each other whenever and wherever we can, as some of them are doing in New York this weekend.  But here is the best news of all…we have at least one of them talking about Escaping again next year in honor of the 10th anniversary of Escape number 1.  Hey, it’s something ladies!  Oh, and please feel free to add to my memories and photos below. 

  • PixieKat

    PixieKat

    I got a chance to swing by Tampa during Katherine’s Chevy Activation weekend
  • Rosa

    Rosa

    I was lucky enough to have Rosa visiting in my back yard, I could not wait to get a chance to break bread with she and Nathan
  • Jenny

    Jenny

    When I visited Scottsdale, Jenny came over to hang with me and didn’t even seem to mind the rowdy Locksmiths we couldn’t shake. Can you blame them, we are pretty cute