Our First Vacation Without Kids

Where we stayed, what I read, and the importance of leaving your kids.

The last few days were exactly what we needed. We slept until 9:30, I started and finished the perfect beach read and napped in a cabana, and there were more piňa coladas and margaritas than we can count. It was glorious.

The day before we left, we officially matched with our new au pair. It’s real. She’s coming! And it felt like a huge relief going into the trip. I’ll share more about that this weekend.

What I wanted out of the trip was to really relax, and I did. A cabana pool nap was peak relaxation for me.

This was the first time my husband and I have traveled together without kids since becoming parents. We’ve both traveled, but never together, and I knew we needed this, but didn’t realize how much.

My four year-old was really sad about us leaving and I explained how much we love her, and how it’s important that we have time together, and to ourselves, too. And I can’t think of a better lesson than telling our kids we love them more than anything, and that even though we’ll miss them, we are prioritizing our marriage and ourselves.

For the longest time, I was too anxious, then we couldn’t, then we had a new baby, and it just never happened. So we traveled as a family and each of us took a solo trip or two.

Maybe it’s because we waited so long, but - and this is very unlike me - I didn’t feel anxious when we left. I had a moment or two of worry, let myself notice the feeling, and then I moved on.

I really enjoyed reading 28 Summers and for the first time, spent an entire flight finishing a book. And I can’t recommended the Kindle enough. I have this one.

This was my first time at an all inclusive resort and I had a great experience. We stayed on the adult side but crossed over to the family side for a few meals. The sand was white and ocean was the most gorgeous shade of turquoise - it was beautiful. I especially loved the cabanas, and we upgraded to have access to the private club pool and bar which had better drinks, but I preferred the pool that was closest to the beach since it had a breeze. The food was pretty good - not incredible but mostly good. Overall a great trip. I would recommend the resort and would go back with the kids (to the family side).

I am so grateful that my friend Megan invited me on this trip to celebrate a big milestone in her life. And I’m proud of myself for going when I only knew one other person. It was a great group, and I knew it would be since Megan is the best. I can’t imagine someone meeting her and not loving her.

It felt so good to get away, and the trip went by fast. I could have easily spent another day laying under an umbrella poolside with a book. But it’s always nice to come home. Even when it’s 5 degrees. 🥶

Jack was already asleep when we walked in the door, but I saw the girls run across the house when we pulled up, and their hugs were just the best. They’re sleeping with me tonight since they needed some extra mom time, and as much as I loved and needed that time away, it’s so nice to be back home.