GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - A group of friends from Waukesha has taken an annual trip together for 32 years, a tradition that started after they graduated high school in 1994.
The group, which has grown from a small circle of friends to 16 people, timed this year’s trip to coincide with Packers Alumni Week and the team’s home opener at Lambeau Field.
A friendship that has lasted decades
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Desirae Janowiak said the friendships have played a lasting role in her life.
“They’ve been the ones that have kept me going,” Janowiak said.
Trischa Boerboom said the group offers a sense of safety for its members.
“We come here and everybody’s in a different time of their life. And we may or may not have gone through it ourselves, but it’s a place of safety,” Boerboom said.
Janowiak said the friendships formed decades ago cannot be replicated.
“You don’t get another chance to make new old friends. You never get it. And I don’t have to give any of these girls a back history of what’s happened in my life. We just jump right in,” Janowiak said.
This year’s trip coincides with Alumni Week
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All 16 members of the group are attending this year’s trip, which falls during Packers Alumni Week.
Janowiak said the timing connects the group’s history to the team’s history.
“I love that it is alumni weekend. I do think that that sort of brings our history and connects it to the history of the Packers. But it being the home opener, I mean, we’re a part of history now here too,” Janowiak said.
Nicole Johnson said the group’s excitement has been building.
“The excitement of just being in this house and seeing Lambo from the windows already has people excited. So to be able to walk through the doors with all of us is going to be epic,” Johnson said.
Members say the bond goes beyond football
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Boerboom said the group includes women from a range of backgrounds and careers.
“We are from all walks of life. And professionals, moms, you know, aunts, busy people, but we make time for each other and we show up. And that’s the biggest thing is we show up for each other,” Boerboom said.
Johnson said the annual trip allows the group to reconnect without judgment.
“It’s beyond special. Like we, a lot of us don’t talk throughout the year. This is a weekend that we come together and we’re genuinely ourselves. And there’s no, it’s a judgment-free zone. We are deep to the core rooted friends,” Johnson said.
Their advice: make the time
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Boerboom and Johnson said they encourage others to prioritize time with friends.
“Schedule time because it slips away so fast. And you don’t get that time back,” Boerboom said.
“Take the trip. You make time for people that matter,” Johnson said.
The group said that while they live in five different states, from Florida to Colorado, Green Bay felt like the right place to celebrate this year. They are already planning next year’s trip.
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