• I've planned girls' trips with friends for years, but it's been harder to coordinate them over time.
• We all have a lot going on, and many of us have kids who can be especially tough to plan around.
• Our adults-only trips aren't going anywhere, but we now plan group trips with our daughters, too.

Since college, I've been fortunate to have a big, close-knit group of girlfriends — and I've prioritized nurturing those friendships.

I especially love strengthening our bonds during getaways, and in my group, I handle planning and coordinating the girls' trips.

Since the '90s, I've spearheaded countless getaways for our group — from raging college spring breaks (New Orleans) to bachelorette parties and divorce parties (both Vegas), to milestone birthdays (my 21st in NYC and 30th in Jamaica), to healing retreats after illness and loss.

These trips have been a great source of joy, laughter, healing, and countless memories — one that sustains us through distance and life's tribulations.

I'm determined to keep up the girls' trip tradition, especially as life looks different for all of us.

There are more factors to consider now that we're adults with full lives

In our teens and early 20s, finding time and space for bonding was easy because many of us lived together and had few distractions.

As life has gone on, those opportunities for connection have become fewer and more difficult to coordinate. We no longer live under one roof, and many of us aren't even in the same city.

In our group, there are big jobs, spouses or partners, ailing and elderly parents, a wide range of disposable incomes, and home projects.

For many of us, there are also kids. This element, in particular, makes it harder for people to commit to dates and make a trip happen: There's homework to do, drop-off and pick-up schedules to coordinate, and sometimes no partner who can help.

It can be hard to prioritize time for yourself as a parent, let alone make time for a trip with friends.

A recent change of plans helped me approach girls' trips in a new way

My last girls' trip to Palm Springs was an impulsive overnight stay at an Airbnb oasis with a jewel box of a pool amid a historic heat wave.

My friend had intended to celebrate her anniversary with her husband and daughter there — but when he got sick, she invited my daughter and I to join for a two-generation girls-only sleepover instead.

While we hung out, our daughters (ages 7 and 10) had fun among themselves. When we all came together, we did pedicures and facials, had cannonball contests, and shared a huge tray of nachos by the pool.

This arrangement was fun and rewarding, plus it eased some of the logistical burdens involved in coordinating childcare. It also helped me realize how nice it could be to incorporate our daughters into some of our trips.

Mom-daughter trips won't replace our old format entirely. Importantly, some friends in our group have no kids (and no interest in spending leisure time with them), and some have only sons.

Still, I'm hoping the two-generation girls' trip flourishes as one extension of a cherished tradition in our expanded circle as life goes on.

Most of all, I'm thrilled to expose the next generation to the soul-satisfying joy of girls' trips, a travel style that I believe nurtures friendships and supports sanity across all stages of life.

• I've visited Disney with my kids for years, but they ask to skip the parks now that they're teens.
• To recapture some Disney magic, I "borrowed" my friend's three kids, who range in age from 2 to 9.
• I loved taking them to Magic Kingdom and seeing the Disney magic through their young eyes.

I've been visiting Disney World with my kids for over a decade — but they've become "too cool" for the parks in many ways as they've gotten older.

Now 14 and 16, they prefer trips to Disney that involve pool days and shopping, so it's rare that I get to witness the childlike wonder that once came with encounters with Mickey Mouse or parades at the theme parks.

To try to recapture some magic, I recently took my friend and her three daughters to Disney World with me instead of my reluctant teens.

At 2, 6, and 9, her girls are prime ages for experiencing Disney, so I knew attending the after-hours ticketed event Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party with them would be a special experience.

Here's why I'll definitely be "borrowing" my friend's kids for Disney trips in the future.

I was reminded of things my kids once loved to do at Disney that I hadn't experienced in years

I had all but forgotten those sweet autograph books kids carry to character meet-and-greets to collect signatures from Mickey and his pals.

My friend's kids each brought one, and it was a delight watching them rush up to the characters we met to get autographs and pose for photos.

There were other long-forgotten Disney moments I experienced anew that night, too: eating Mickey-shaped treats, basking in the park's fake snow showers, and picking out the perfect stuffed animal at the gift shops.

A big highlight was taking the girls to see Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, which only happens a few times a year.

When I visit Disney parks with my teens, it's rare they have the patience to scope out a good spot and watch any parade from start to finish.

On the other hand, my friend's daughters love Disney characters and were happy to secure a prime parade-viewing location and watch the entire thing.

Parades have always been a Disney favorite for me, and it was a joy to watch them interact with the passing characters.

Taking people who enjoy the parks makes the pricey tickets feel worth it

Disney can be pricey, but it feels way less stressful to spend money on a theme park when you're with people who truly enjoy it.

On the night we visited, tickets to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party were close to $200 each, but I know we got our money's worth.

I'm sure I would've had a great time with my own kids, but the experience would have involved a bit more complaining about lines and itineraries and a lot less excitement.

If I'm going to spend money on Disney tickets, I'd rather buy them for kids who are thrilled to be there than teenagers who are being dragged against their will.

As a mom of teens, I recommend visiting Disney with little kids if you're looking to feel some magic

Taking small kids to one of my favorite holiday events at Florida's theme parks was a special treat — one that helped me feel like, just for a moment, I was a mom to littles again.

Still, I adore my teens. Going to theme parks with them is still fun — just different as they get older.

I've found other ways to continue to explore parks with them, from walking through Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando with my film-buff son to tasting TikTok-famous snacks with my daughter all over Disney property.

My teens will always be my theme-park buddies, but I'd definitely "borrow" a friend's kids again from time to time just to feel the Disney magic all over again.

• My extended family went to Bali and stayed at luxurious hotels with perks and one simpler one.
• The more basic hotel that cost less and had fewer perks was our favorite — it felt more authentic.
• I've realized that my family doesn't need all the bells and whistles to have a great vacation.

In 2022, my entire extended family decided to head to Bali for Christmas. The group of 18 of us consisted of five different families from across the globe.

Choosing the right accommodation for such a massive party was tricky, and everyone had differing opinions about where we should stay.

We ended up mixing it up and staying at three different locations — but one was a clear favorite for my family.

We started with the fancier resorts, which were amazing but didn't feel special

Our first stop was the Bali Mandira Beach Resort and Spa, which came highly recommended by our friends.

It's a short drive from the Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport and has great reviews, averaging about 4.6 stars on Google.

Bali Mandira has everything you could want in a family-friendly resort: a kids' club, mind-blowing buffet breakfast, multiple swimming pools (including one for toddlers), a waterslide, and a swim-up bar for the adults.

As we checked into the resort, we were greeted by friendly staff offering virgin cocktails and refreshing hand towels.

The next few days were very relaxing. We floated in the kid-friendly pool, drank our fair share of cocktails at the swim-up bar, ate ourselves silly at the buffet, and sampled a few of the local restaurants nearby.

The resort felt peaceful with sprawling, immaculately tended gardens, yet it was still close to the action. We could step outside and explore the markets around Legian, then retreat back into the Bali Mandira oasis.

Next, we headed to the five-star Holiday Inn Resort Bali Nusa Dua, which overlooks Benoa Bay. Again, its reviews were exceptional — it has an average of about 4.6 stars on Google.

It had plenty of facilities for the little ones and the kids' club was pretty amazing with a slide, climbing wall, costumes, arts and crafts, computer zone, ball pit, and photo booth.

But after a few days, we started to feel like we were missing out on experiencing the real Bali. After all, the Holiday Inn is a chain resort. Chains are supposed to provide reliable, consistent experiences, not necessarily localized ones.

Both resorts felt quite Westernized, which I know many travelers enjoy. But for us, the many all-inclusive comforts and easy seclusion made us feel like we could've been back home in Australia rather than in Indonesia.

Our final stop was our favorite

After five days, we were well and truly ready for a change of scenery, so we headed to Green Field Hotel and Restaurant in Ubud.

This quaint three-star hotel ended up being our favorite of the trip, which came as a bit of a surprise as it was also the cheapest.

Our spacious double room had gold paint, mosquito nets, and ornate wooden furniture — it definitely felt more Balinese. The hotel was also perfect location-wise.

We were a 10-minute walk from Ubud's famous Monkey Forest, and the hotel offered a free shuttle service around town. This was super handy for so many of our family members, who ranged in age from four months to 78 years old.

There wasn't a swim-up bar or kids' club, but the hotel had two swimming pools, with one overlooking nearby rice paddies. We found it magical to float in a pool surrounded by a cacophony of insects with the fields nearby.

We've realized that, sometimes, simple is best

Although our accommodation in Ubud didn't have the same bells and whistles as the other resorts, our children loved it.

We made lasting memories sitting on the veranda listening to the insects at sunrise, watching locals tend to the rice paddies, and chatting with the friendly staff.

For some travelers, a massive, Westernized resort that feels comfortably like home can be more appealing. But we've realized our little family prefers places where we can immerse ourselves in some local culture over luxurious ones where you hardly need to leave the property.

• In college, Wendy Altschuler studied abroad in India.
• She traveled back 20 years later, eager to bring along her husband and three sons.
• It showed her how different it feels to travel in your 20s alongside students versus exploring with kids in tow.

It was dark when I arrived in India, the air was slothful with a gluey viscosity. I was still in college and had never traveled this far away from home before.

I hadn't decided to study abroad in India on a whim. I had spent months preparing, saving, and studying. Delving deep, I was fully immersed in my classes, reading every book on the recommended list and watching every film.

I also spent a lot of time wandering along Chicago's Devon Avenue, or Little India, which was home to 15 blocks of South Asian restaurants and shops at the time.

Of course, none of this prepared me for what I experienced in Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur: the Golden Triangle.

Studying abroad in India

During my last year in school, as part of my study-abroad program, I volunteered at a children's home about 90 minutes south of Delhi. Through my work, I learned the power of Jugaad, a Hindi word — an ethos, really — which compels one to make the most of what one has, even if it's very little.

After a day of serving others, I'd return to the YMCA, my home in New Delhi at the time. I'd meet up with classmates to chat about the day's discoveries. I'd share about how generous and selfless it was for the home leaders to help. Others would discuss how difficult it was to witness families living on the street.

More than once during my first stay, a stranger welcomed me into their home, often just two rooms for their entire family. They would offer me a hot cup of tea or a bangle for my wrist. The people who ostensibly had the least seemed hell-bent on giving the most.

This was a formative time in my life, an era of tipping my toe into what might be possible for my future. The kindness and sincerity of the people I met in India, both at the children's home and also in other places I visited, made an indelible impression on me.

I returned 20 years later with my three sons

So, when I got the opportunity to bring my three boys to India two decades later, I raised my hand.

As a travel writer, I've had the opportunity to visit many countries around the world, and as a result, I've accumulated a fair amount of airline miles. My husband, who also travels for work, does the same.

We decided to cash in our miles and book a family trip to South and Southeast Asia, taking advantage of extended layovers. This included four days lighting up all five of our senses in India.

We made the most of our limited time by visiting some of Delhi's landmarks, including Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate, Lotus Temple, and Jama Masjid. These were all the same locales my feet had wandered through as a university student.

We hired human-powered cycle rickshaws to explore the constricted streets of Old Delhi, where hundreds of snaking power cords blocked out the sky above. I watched my sons' eyes widen as we narrowly avoided itinerant goats, men and women carrying hefty bundles on their heads, beeping motorbikes, and green and yellow tuk-tuks.

The most distinctive stop for me was the timeworn YMCA. I didn't recognize it, truly, until I saw the hallway leading to the bedrooms where I could picture myself running down the stairs, a palpable sensation where I remembered unerringly how I felt when I was young, well before the demands of adulthood and motherhood.

In a snap of a finger, so powerfully poignant that errant tears escaped down my cheeks, I was now standing there, in the exact same spot, with my husband and three children. Time is wild.

Later, we'd leave Delhi and travel to Agra, stopping off at the famous Taj Mahal. A multi-generational family of women smiled and asked to have a photo with me at Agra Fort, and each time I spotted them around the grounds, we would all wave and giggle, verifying that the warmth and adoration were mutually felt.

In Jaipur, the Pink City, my 15-year-old middle son met a man who coaxed a green bird out of a cage. The bird then selected a red card with his beak, a delightful fortune of goodwill. When the rain poured down in sheets while visiting Chandra Mahal and City Palace, my boys dared each other to step out from under the safety of the overhang and get soaked — a dare my youngest took hook, line, and sinker.

Looking at the photos that my kids had taken later — elephants walking in the road, magnified details of gems stuck in walls, garbage on the ground, and plenty of goofy selfies — I recognized that they were going through something completely different on this journey than I was, which is the magic of travel.

Sojourning in India during my 20s with other students was undoubtedly a much different opportunity than seeing the country with my family in tow. We can all wander through the same destination together, but our ages, life experiences, and circumstances will always dictate a unique, personalized adventure. It's up to us to assign meaning to what we experience.

India is fragrant smoke, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, and dangling strings of chilies; tight round marigolds, fresh jasmine, and bursting bougainvillea; raucous tuk-tuks and inert cows. It's humidity, then a deluge of rain then beams of sunshine. It's smiles under draping colorful scarves and a bob of the head. There's an effervescence that must be experienced firsthand to comprehend, to believe, to feel.

My boys will likely be unpacking their journey for years to come, just as I am decades later still; and perhaps, in 20 more years, we will meet in the country of curry, textiles, forts, and flowers once again.

• Me and my family love high-end luxury travel but my sister and her family aren't used to it.
• We went on a big group trip, and I chose to go to a luxury resort that was right up my alley.
• My sister's family seemed bored and out of their comfort zones at times, but we all bonded.

I'm well known in my family for my love of high-end luxury travel.

Although I used to rough it in my earlier years, these days you'll rarely find me staying anywhere that's not at least on par with a Four Seasons.

My sister has the opposite inclinations: Her last trip involved building community centers in rural Mexico with my niece.

Still, we pushed to make a joint family vacation happen this summer. We hoped it'd help deepen the bond between our kids, who are five first cousins between the ages of 9 and 17.

She let me take the reins on the trip, so I gathered our families for a vacation to the ultra-luxurious Four Seasons at Cabo del Sol in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

The posh trip was a great bonding experience even though I don't think my sister and her family were fully sold on it.

The luxurious accommodations were great, and we didn't really leave the resort

My branch of the family was thrilled as soon as we arrived at our resort.

We had no problem settling into our massive suite with a private pool overlooking the ocean and a walk-in closet as big as our kitchen at home.

It took my sister's family a lot more time to settle into their similar accommodations — a far cry from when they'd slept under wool blankets on plywood platforms on their last trip to Mexico.

Together, we enjoyed the property's expansive pool — the kind where you never have to fight for a chaise lounger and two varieties of resort-issued sunscreen are available on tap.

The five cousins (and us moms) spent hours in the game room, playing friendly competitions of billiards, ping-pong, and pinball.

Still, we didn't really leave the property or do much exploring. I didn't mind, but I could tell my sister and her family weren't as thrilled.

Since there were multiple restaurants at the resort, it was easiest to eat just about all of our meals there without leaving.

Although the resort had tons of kayaks, boogie boards, and snorkel equipment lined up on the beach, it wasn't feasible to take them out for a spin on the choppy coastline in the area.

The kids were disappointed that the sea felt like a bit of a tease — a hint at the possibility of more adventurous days that weren't.

I didn't win over my sister, but the relaxing trip helped us bond

To me, the slow pace, convenience, and luxury make resort-style environments like these great options for a big family vacation.

But the truth is, I could tell my sister's family was a little bored. Her brood is more used to engaging in cultural deep dives or strenuous physical activities than sitting around being pampered.

Meanwhile, my kids grew up on this style of posh travel and eat it up, devouring it as a restful counterpart to the more vigorous trips we also do as a family.

In the end, I probably didn't win over my sister's branch of the family to my way of traveling like I secretly hoped I would. But the trip was still a great success because it allowed us to bond and connect as a family.

The resort provided a slower backdrop for simply being together. We didn't have to worry about running around to different places while juggling a packed itinerary.

And I suspect my sister's family will remember it this way too — with a deep fondness for the memories it helped create — even if they aren't likely to make a habit of this style of trip.