Where It All Goes Down
Summer Vacation
Should we be more specific? The girls live in Bethesda, Maryland and that is where Tibby spends her summer, but not the others—instead they're off to South Carolina, Greece, and Mexico, which is lucky for the Pants, who get to travel the world because of this.
Things Go South in South Carolina
Carmen thinks that a change of setting will be amazing, and she even imagines her father convincing her to stay in South Carolina at summer's end. No such luck, though—instead she discovers that her dad has another family and a whole separate life down south. It's quite a surprise, since she's been thinking her father lives in a manly apartment this whole time, and Carmen is shocked as they drive "along small wooden suburban streets with big Victorian houses rise on either side" (4.66). Yup—her dad definitely doesn't live in bachelor-land.
This setting—or more specifically, the situation is presents—seriously sours Carmen's mood, and she becomes bitter and downright mean. This southern state really brings out the worst in our little friend, until she decides it's time to bolt. Halfway through the summer she returns to Maryland, and the next time she travels south—for her father's wedding—she brings the Pants and a better attitude.
Problems Abroad
How lucky are Lena and Bridget? They spend their summers in Greece and Mexico, far from home and destined for adventure in romance. Both girls find moments of pure joy relishing the beauty that surrounds them, but that doesn't mean their time in foreign countries isn't without any problems—specifically of the male variety.
Lena is so overcome by the olive groves and peaceful pond that she skinny dips, which leads to all sorts of trouble in paradise, and Bridget spends her nights basking in the moonlight on the beach listening to the "gentle sound of the surf" (2.59). Maybe if she slept in the cabin like the rest of the campers, she would have avoided her sticky situation.
Importantly, for both of these girls being abroad means they're largely left to figure things out for themselves since neither of them has any parents around. This adds to how big their mistakes are when they mess up, but also adds to how much they learn in the process.
Home Sweet Home
Tibby is stuck in Maryland working all summer, a reality that adds to her already cynical attitude. It's not fair that she has to stay and work while her friends embark on exciting journeys—but then again, if Tibby hadn't stayed in Bethesda to work at Wallman's, she never would have met Bailey. Tibby realizes she doesn't need to travel to Greece or Mexico to make life exciting—nope, true happiness comes from sharing brownies and ice cream with a buddy after a hard day's work.