I’ve always been interested in travel (whether near or far), but in recent years, I’ve felt even more pulled to it. When Russ and I managed our first-ever fly-somewhere couple getaway at the beginning of August this year, I finally realized why:
On vacation, my mind isn’t cluttered by the never-ending list of things to be done.
Dishes, laundry, cooking dinner — those are all done less or not at all. Naps, enforcing rules and bedtime, baths — those get loosened up or let go completely in the name of vacation fun. Even everyday boredom and the pressure to plan a daily activity for the girls — usually the planning has been done ahead of time for vacations OR spontaneity is half the fun!
As a result of all these dropped stressors, I’m so much more chill on vacation. The only real items on my to-do list are to relax and connect with my family (or whoever else I’m traveling with).
Of course, we can’t go on vacation allllll the time, and I am definitely happy to get back to my routines when we return home, but I want to be this chill version of myself as often as possible, so I’ve started to prioritize more frequent mini-vacations. The hope is for a 2- to 3-day family trip in fall, winter, and spring, along with a longer (5- to 10-day) family vacation in the summer.
So when my sister-in-law posted photos from their little family trip to a cabin about an hour and a half away from my house just 3 days after Russ and I returned from our getaway, I knew that would be the perfect place for our fall trip this year! Despite having juuuuust returned from a trip, I was already ready for another one :)
Earlier this week, we took our girls down to that cabin for 2 nights, and once again I got to enjoy being chill-vacation-me :) We cooked ourselves yummy camp food, went on a little hike, took the girls kayaking on the reservoir, built a campfire, stargazed, and relaxed in the hammock we brought. There was ZERO cell reception, which was another perk of the trip. Life is so much more slow-paced and quiet without the scream of a cell phone (“LOOK AT ME!!”). It was so nice! :)
In case you’re wondering, sleep at the cabin was not so ideal. Although mine and Russ’s bed was comfortable enough, both girls had a rough time due to overtiredness and an incoming cold for Ada. Ada spent the first part of both nights calling out for me every so often (despite being fully asleep), and Holly spent the 4-6am hours FULLY AWAKE both nights! It was so uncharacteristic of her, and so stressful for me. I was chill on this vacation, but I was also very tired from the lack of sleep!
But even despite the lack of sleep, it was still so refreshing and relaxing to be out in the middle of nowhere connecting with my family. I’m already dreaming up possibilities for our winter escape! :)
How often do you like to travel with your family? Do you find that you get to be a different version of yourself, like I do? Any ideas about how to incorporate that more chill version of myself into my everyday life? Ha :D