You're busy, I get it. So here's the short version:

Girl Trips is for women who want to travel Canada with good company, great conversation, and zero pressure to be anything but yourself. If you're 50 and up, you'll feel right at home.

It's what happens when someone finally does the thing you've been meaning to do: plans the trip, picks the people, and makes it impossible to say no. It's boat cruises and Cape Breton escapes and campfire conversations that go longer than they should. It's the dinner where you laughed so hard your mascara gave up. It's the text thread that's still going three months later. This isn't about finding yourself. You already know who you are. This is about giving her a really good time, with women who showed up for the same reason you did.

Longer version? Ok. Hi, I'm Candace, and I'm about the girls.

Maybe it's because I'm an only child, but I've spent most of my life building the sisterhood I never had. From blogging in the early days of the internet to building an online community of over 600 Canadian moms, to running influencer campaigns for Sunwing, to years on radio and now podcasting with What She Said, bringing women together has been the through line in everything I've done. I'm also the creator of Life in Pleasantville, a travel and lifestyle blog that's been around since 2011. Add in decades of friendship-fuelled getaways, a deep love for Canada, and a 98% extrovert score on a Myers-Briggs test, and Girl Trips was pretty much inevitable.

Girl Trips operates under Grit & Grace Adventures Ltd, a TICO-registered host agency, and I'm a TICO-certified travel agent myself. So while this started as one woman's passion project, it's backed by real licensing, not just good intentions and an Instagram feed. Every trip and event is planned and hosted by me, because sometimes you just need someone to say: I've got this, just show up.

How do my girlfriends describe me on a trip? "The laid-back organizer. Chillin' with a plan." "Clipboard, whistle, and a glass of sangria." "Shenanigan coordinator." I'll take it.

Here's what I know: the online world has gone from a tool for adventure to a replacement for it. We used to make plans online to meet up in real life. Now we just scroll. We're more connected and somehow less connected than ever. Girl Trips is my pushback. Joy, laughter, and real conversation happen when you're off Wi-Fi and in the world. I built this to get us back there.

A few rapid-fire truths, since you're wondering:

Drink of choice? Sangria in summer, wine in winter, Black Russians if it's really cold. Don't judge.
Mountains or water? Canada gives me both and I refuse to choose.
Carry-on or checked bag? I can do a carry-on. I just won't like it.
Favourite Canadian destination? Cape Breton. It's in my blood.
Dream trip? Tahiti with a group of women who are up for anything. And every single Canadian province and territory before I'm done.

What I hope you feel after reading this? Like you just found your people. Like someone finally planned the trip. Like all you have to do is say yes.

Let's hang.