A group of local women went on a girls trip in October 2024. The friends toured 30A in Florida, a scenic highway in the Florida panhandle.

Girls support girls with Galentines gatherings

by Mary Le Arneal
Published 2/11/26

alentine’s Day is coming up Saturday. For children it will mean cards and treats to share with classmates. In the high school the FFA is making Valentines to purchase and will be delivered to students and staff in the school on Feb. 13.

Speaking of Feb. 13, did you know it has become its own nonofficial holiday? Galentine’s Day. A day to celebrate female friendships.

The celebration was popularized on the television show Parks and Recreation in 2010. It was noted to be a ‘ladies celebrating ladies’ day. Awareness of the holiday spread through social media.

It has grown in popularity to the point that businesses are now promoting the holiday.

Locally there are a number of groups of women who are long-time friends and are glad to have another reason to get together. The Traveling Girls started in 1996 as their children started graduating from high school and they had time to get away. Beth Vech had a family cabin in North Carolina and invited 10 friends to join her there for a week of relaxation and fun.

“That summer visit sparked something none of us could really have anticipated or imagine,” Vech said. “We began to travel all over the United States together. Through these past 29 years, we have had many adventures, taken a ton of pictures, created memories of a lifetime and grown even closer.”

Nichole Ruzicka has a group of girlfriends that she travels with.

“We’re a group of close friends who just wanted a little getaway to unwind and take a break,” Ruzicka said.

They have been to Florida, Arizona and Tennessee together on girl trips.

The Vech Traveling Girls have taken a trip almost every year. They have been on a number of Mystery Trips, with two members planning and the rest putting their money in and relaxing to enjoy the final destination. Some years they have just gone to Lincoln or Omaha for an outing together.

The Ruzicka group grew to 11 when they went to Florida to travel along Highway 30A in the panhandle. The scenic beach towns along the 26–mile stretch offered unique vibes and attraction.

“Some of the group had been on smaller group trips prior to this get-together and then some people got added,” Ruzicka said. “Friends wanted to invite other friends and it ended up being a fun group and some of us got to know some ladies we didn’t know that well to begin with.”

On occasion they have even included their husbands on a trip.
The Traveling Girls started out with 11 women and have fluctuated some when lives and family needs changed. Though the traveling was fun, the friendships is what made the trip special.

Kay Poppe is the newest member of the Traveling Girls, joining after losing her husband in 2011.

“The first trip I went on was a mystery trip to Ogunquit, Maine, one of my favorites,” Poppe said. “Our group is special with a closeness of friends, some of which I didn’t know well but came to love.”

The group has aged, with most members in their 70s, a few have had to deal with cancer and three have lost husbands, but they were not alone. Their traveling friends were there to support them in their time of need.

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