Earlier this month I traded in my pearls for tassels and hit the dance floor. I was excited to “let my hair down” for a girls weekend in New York City. As I packed my overnight bag, I figured, I would just wear the same jewelry all weekend. My tried and true pearls, the ones I wear almost every single day. I know, boring, but I love them as they were a gift from my grandmother. And besides, where was I going that I couldn’t just be me? Wearing my everyday normal “mom” jewelry, as my daughter likes to call it.

My girlfriends and I had planned this weekend months ago, when we secured special tickets to see The View, thanks to another wonderful friend. In addition to being girlfriends, they are my co-hosts on a little moms talk show we have in town. We love meeting other moms and talking about things of interest to them, and were looking forward to this special weekend away. A chance to bond, brainstorm a bit about our upcoming shows, have a cocktail (or two three) and just be ourselves. The other part of ourselves we often forget about.

So instead of just taking the train up and back, we decided to make a two-day trip to the city, complete with fabulous shopping, lunch and dinner … and just, well, normal things women do when not Ubering children, grocery shopping, running errands, making dinner or the 1,000 other chores we do on any given weekend.

After a very early wake up call (4:00am) and train into the city (6:00am) we arrived into Grand Central looking no worse for the wear. Excited to be away even for two-days, we took our little excursion seriously, and booked fancy blow outs (thank you Jean & Blo New York) and made reservations at trendy hot spots we dream about when taking the kids to Panera Bread for dinner.

The View taping was ah-mah-zing. I had the rare opportunity have a conversation with Whoopi (you know, THE Whoopi), and well, it was truly as fabulous as you might imagine. Thanks to my fabulous friend, we had front row seats, were even asked to help get the audience ready by dancing on the set before the show opened. It was crazy fun, and we had the time of our lives.

After a delicious lunch, we headed out shopping in search of trendy New York purchases. An hour later, we were in a very trendy and very loud shop, and just about to leave when I spotted them. The most fabulous black tassel earrings. So trendy, so cute and so not me. My first thought was my youngest daughter would love them. (She is 11, turning 12 next week.) But I thought, why not. I’m in New York, I’m going to do it. I’m going to buy them. YES. I know what you are thinking. You are crazy, Adria. You are a nut. Who does this very daring thing? (Okay maybe not so crazy or nutty or daring… but for me, yes.) Where the heck would I wear these back home? Certainly not to work or Panera Bread.

The black tassel earrings became me, and I became them. Sounds crazy, I know, but for the rest of the weekend, I decided to I would wear them and be the fun, exciting, and bolder me. The tassels transformed me I think… they made me feel like someone else, someone who doesn’t plan every waking minute (or dinners for the week), someone who doesn’t stay up ironing clothes the night before school and work, or the person who organizes PTO breakfasts.  And definitely not someone who wears safe and conservative pearls. Every. Single. Day.

As we dressed for dinner, we felt fun, alive and ready for a night on the town. Shedding our mom personas (and sweaters) by the wayside, we headed to TAO Downtown first for drinks. Definitely a New York vibe (complete with New York prices, $22 for a martini), we had fun, as we people watched.

After drinks we made it to Vandal New York, the latest restaurant lounge by the Tao group, in time for our 9:30pm reservation, which turned into a 10:30pm seating. Definitely a hotspot, located in the Bowery, an Uber-trendy area of the city according to Time Out New York. Seeing how we finished dinner close to midnight, we decided to swing by the club downstairs for some dancing. We could hear the music throughout dinner, and were excited to bust a move. My tassels hit the dance floor.

Within three minutes we realized we might be the oldest people in the club, (except for two old men buying champagne at a nearby table for their new young friends.) However, we danced! After shimmining our way to the dance floor, in the dark, mind you, with a strobe of light flickering every so often, we found our spot on the crowded dance floor. I forgot how squishy club dancing can be. Two minutes later, we were pushed, had wine spilled on us and our feet hurt. As looked up to see where the bathrooms might be, I saw a group of five young women dancing and laughing in front of us. They could not have been more than 21 or 22 years old.  As I watched them I thought this is us. Well, the “us” 25 years ago. When we were just out of college and used to go dancing (or clubbing as we used to say) every Friday night.

I looked at these young girls dancing and having the time of their lives, and I honestly stopped for a moment to watch them. They seemed so young, so free, so innocent. Wasn’t that us … yesterday? Where did the time go? I felt a pang in my chest. How did we end up here already? How did all these years pass by so fast? What happened? And then I thought… aren’t they cold wearing only those tank tops? And won’t they have a headache in the morning doing all of those shots? (Yep, the mom in me came back. Or maybe she was there all along, just hidden under the tassels.)

As we climbed the stairs to make our way out of the club an hour later, pushing past the crowds of young people just arriving (!), I realized I am good just where I am. At this time in my life.

Sure I loved being young. Who doesn’t? I loved dancing with friends and staying out late; weekends of just lounging and relaxing; and then going out at 11pm. But the reality is, I love my life now. The crazy, over-scheduled, errand and Uber-filled weekends with the kids. The menu-planning-grocery-shopping-weekends with my family. I love dinners in our kitchen with all the lights on and being in bed by 11pm (okay most nights) – and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Yes, I’m back to wearing my pearls, but who knows… maybe one day soon, the tassel earrings will be ready for another crazy weekend.