A trip…without kids!

I love to travel: Day trips, weekend trips, week-long trips to sunny destinations, our honeymoon in Ireland and nearly a month-long tour in Australia with strangers who became friends.

My husband travels quite a bit too. He travelled a lot before we met, and now his work has him out of country every couple of months or so.

Because I love to travel so much, it actually took me by surprise when I realized that the last time I had been on a plane was more than three years ago! Back to when my husband and I took a trip to Jamaica, just because. Three years…time flies when you become a parent that’s for sure!

So when a very good friend sent out the save-the-dates for his wedding in Whistler I was beyond excited!

Finally a trip! And not just any trip: A trip to see a good friend tie the knot. A trip travelling with my husband, two of my best friends and their husbands. A trip that would see us share a three bedroom condo in the heart of Whistler village. A trip…without kids!

I didn’t think much about it during the planning stages. Each set of grandparents would come to our house and stay with the girls, simple enough, and that way the girls would be happy in their own beds at night.

We booked our suite, a Vancouver hotel, a rental vehicle, booked our flights and made sure we were all sitting together, we even booked a ride on the peak-to-peak gondola (this is a MUST SEE if you’re ever going to Whistler).

I bought my dress and accessories, and tried as best I could to plan what to pack.

That’s when it hit me…when I was packing my bags. How am I going to be able to leave my babies for almost a week?? I’ve been away from them overnight before, even for a couple of days, but never to the other side of the country!

As you might have discovered by now, I’m pretty organized (to say I like to have my T’s crossed and my I’s dotted would be an understatement). I had pages of detailed notes typed out, the poison control number on the fridge, the girls health cards left out, even instructions for the dog!

And then the day came, our cab picked us up hours before the girls even woke up. Hubby and I quietly kissed them goodbye, hugged my parents and hopped in the van.

My stomach was in knots. Excitement or nerves? Maybe both.

I was still missing them when the plane took off. Then the in-flight movie started and the knots subsided.

We arrived in Vancouver, had a beautiful drive up the mountain, checked in to the most amazing suite in Whistler and started to unwind.

We really decompressed during our day in the mountains at the Scandinave Spa. Talk about relaxation. My girlfriends and I admitted to each other that we almost felt guilty for enjoying a very relaxing day with no kids in sight…almost.

We FaceTimed all of our kids throughout the week and got constant updates from the Gramma’s and Papa’s.

The wedding was beautiful, the setting was perfect and it was wonderful to celebrate with some of my life-long friends, some of whom I hadn’t seen in a very long time.

The trip was incredible. Relaxing…to say the least. Just what hubby and I needed…Absolutely.

We got home and our kids were in one piece. Definitely spoiled, but very happy and excited to see mommy and daddy.

What I learned from this trip:

• Adult time is important. It’s important to be able to reconnect with your best friends without having to talk over yelling toddlers. It’s important to reconnect with your significant other. We all admit to this, but life gets very busy. Actually being able to have an uninterrupted conversation with my husband about something other than finances and toddler stuff was a treat and long overdue.
• Vancouver and Whistler are beautiful. Talk about some incredible scenery. Practically everywhere you look it’s gorgeous, and not only that, they love the outdoors. The air smells great, there’s no need to buy water bottles because it seems everywhere you turn there’s a refill station and did I mention the views?
• Vancouver is expensive. It’ll cost you to visit (or to live there) so plan for that before you fly. It’s totally worth it though (as I mentioned above).
• My kids will be okay. Yes, they will be spoiled. No the Gramma’s and Papa’s won’t follow my detailed notes to a tee. Yes, they will ask for mommy and daddy and when/if you hear about it it will pull at your heartstrings. But yes…they will be okay…and so will you.