Dear Fellow Momma: you need a vacation + here's why...
Hey you! Yeah...you! Are you a mom? Are you stressed, run down, low on patience and tired of stepping on Barbie's shoes or Batman's legos?
This is a PSA: You need a vacation! And you can trust your ol' girl Johanna, here because I just returned from an incredibly fulfilling trip to Mexico. <full recap next week> I didn't think it would ever be possible but I ACTUALLY relaxed. The kind of "relaxed" that makes you so chill that even your girlfriend looks at you one day and asks if you're okay because you are sooo quiet. Quiet, for me, at least = blissed out.
Leaving your babes, young or old, for a foreign country is often a daunting task. Not only do you have to get your house in order: the outfits, the drop-offs, the pick-ups, the meals, the homework, etc. but you have to pack your own junk!
Full Disclosure: leaving for a trip is a total shit show in my house. I usually pack myself at the very last minute!
Case & Point: I packed for Mexico an hour before I left for the airport.
It's still possible to have it all, ladies but that doesn't come without a heavy dose of stress. Keep your eye on the prize though. There's tequila ahead!
The other wave of emotion that comes with traveling is guilt. Guilt in not being with your husband and for sure, guilt in not being with your babes. I don't know any woman that doesn't feel a twinge of guilt upon leaving but that means your human. Good news!
Here are SIX facts to further justify why traveling is good for any momma's sanity:
Distance makes the heart grow fonder: The surprise and squeals when you walk through that door post trip is the money! My girls repeatedly told me how much they missed me. It was a love fest. Dare I say a little more appreciation has been served up this week? ...and the hugs. So good!
You'll have your sanity back: I don't know about you but I return calmer, more collected. My patience is restored and I don't fly off the handle when I see wet jean shorts sitting at the bottom of a tub. Weird? Yes. But hey, there's always a glass of rosé. Diet starts tomorrow.
Hubby is happy to see you: He followed along on your Insta Stories and he's present. Heck, you're present! Furthermore, he's really craving some adult conversation. Take advantage!
Laughter is the best medicine: There is a laughter that only girlfriends can induce. It's the stuff! That bellyaching, eye-watering kind that allows you to shake away the stress and bond. You can't duplicate it and oddly, it can only be found with a plane ride AWAY. I cannot tell you how many times my sides hurt or how many times I busted out my Julia Roberts laugh in public.
There's always tequila: The first five minutes of any plane ride are the most difficult. Have a drink. You'll be fine in an hour. I was telling the girls this but there is something about travel in which I can drink copious amounts of tequila and never feel hungover. Perhaps it's because we are always sweating or perhaps I need to get a little lit and disconnect. Either way it's gooooooooood. I miss it as I type this post!
Your perspective of the world will change: I really mean this one. Along with the laughter comes deeper discussions about parenthood, relationships, crime, BOTOX, potty training...man, you name it...we covered it. Your perspective will shift ever so slightly. You'll become more empathetic, deeply rooted, loyal to your girls and most definitely, a bit more openminded. You cannot buy that gift. It's priceless.
Have I convinced you yet, dearest mommy? Because yes, girl...you deserve a break! A vacation doesn't mean you are not engaged or a quitter. It makes you are a BETTER mom and wife when you return.
P/S Don't forget the FaceTime. It was quite comical when all six of us FaceTime'd our families at the same time on the way to dinner. Imagine a chorus of pipsqueak voices exclaiming "Mommy!"
Photography by Helen and Corri
Check out today's link ups: The Mummy Chronicles, The Pleated Poppy, Tucker Up, Get Your Pretty On, Shopping My Closet Mix & Match Fashion, Penniless Socialite, Sincerely Jenna Marie, Living in Color!
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