When I was an undergrad, I completed a Group Independent Study Project (GISP) on children's literature. What does this mean?(a) I got college credit for reading Harry Potter
(b) I wrote literary analysis on Mary Anne Spier and Logan Bruno
(c) At age 20, I had a sleepover party and played the Sweet Valley High board game
(d) I made some excellent lifelong friends
(e) All of the above, and then some!
It was one of my best college experiences, mostly because I've stayed in touch with the other women in the GISP. After graduation, we continued to have semi-regular reunions. But then people started moving away from the Providence area. Now, we are spread throughout Boston, New York, Washington, and Alaska. So when we want to get together, we have to have a Super Special.
How many of you read Ann M. Martin's Baby-sitter's Club books? If you've got any sort of familiarity with the BSC, then you must know the term "Super Special." They were the thick white books chronicling the club's group vacations.
The GISP had our first Super Special last year, when everyone flew out for my wedding. Starting tomorrow, we're on our next Super Special: GISP Alaskan Adventure! I can't wait. Everyone's been joking that, if our vacation runs true to the BSC model, we will care for adorable toddlers (and meet equally adorable men with accents) on our trip.
I am more than happy to do without both kinds of adorable. I am just excited to hang out with my friends and see Alaska!
I'm sure I'll have all kinds of pictures and stories when I return. For now, though, I'd love to hear about the best gal-pal vacation you ever took. (And former BSC readers: who was your favorite/least favorite baby-sitter, and why?)
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10 comments:
YAY!!! Let the fun begin!
Oh, I am so bummed that I'm not going to be in Alaska with everyone! And mostly that's because I can't imagine seeing the new Harry Potter movie with anyone other than the GISP, and only a little because I do actually want to visit Alaska at some point in my life...
Woohoo! Where in Alaska are you going to be? (And of course you would pick a time to be there when I'm in DC for Nationals...)
To fuse a couple of your topics together, my favorite vacations were the Sweet Valley High special edition books. Remember when the twins go on the biking trip? Or when they nanny for the summer and meet the hunky rock star? As for BSC, I have to go with Claudia, because she had candy and her own phone line.
Have a great time!
That sounds awesome! What a fun girl trip. And Alaska--wow!
My most fun girl trip (I've only had a few) would be the shopping trip I took with my sister, mom, and aunt to Atlanta. It was non-stop and action-packed. :)
Enjoy yourself!
Thanks for the good travel wishes, everyone!
Kendra, your comment made me laugh. I was remembering how Chapter Two always explained what each babysitter was wearing, and Claudia would be in stirrup pants and dangly feather earrings. And even with that candy, she always had clear skin!
My favorite babysitter would have to be Mary Anne, because (a) she liked to read (her favorite book was "Little Women") and (b) she had a boyfriend.
Wow, talk about bringing back my past. I loved BSC growing up, though it was probably a tie between Stacy and Mary Ann for my faves. Let's face it, growing up in suburban Detroit, anyone who had the style Stacy had definitely called for me.
As for best girls' vacation? It may have been the three week tour through Northwest Europe, or it may be my upcoming Vegas trip. I'll have to let you know. :)
I was always a Dawn girl, myself. Her "California casual style" and "white blonde hair" were enough to get me in her camp. My favorite storyline was Dawn's airhead mom and Marianne's crazy-strict dad getting married.
I think everyone's least favorite babysitter was the unfortunate Mallory.
Actually, I must admit to hating Dawn with a fiery passion. She was the only west coast character in any of the books, and she was such a California cliche! Where was the west coast BSC member who loved coffee, wore flannel, and listened to grunge rock?
My favorite was Mary Anne. Her favorite book was "Little Women" and she had a steady boyfriend with with a Southern accent.
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