When Hubs and I first got married, we made a priority of continuing to "date". Back then, it was easy. We were newlyweds. For the first year of our marriage, one or both of us was deployed, so when we both got home, we were still in the honeymoon stages. We went out for dinner at least once a week. We did things on the weekends. We went on a week-long vacation each of the first three years we were married (one of which being our honeymoon).
The we had our first baby and moved from Virginia to California in the middle of June. A summer vacation simply wasn't in the cards. Trips to the beach weren't prioritized since I was in no shape to don a bikini (and maybe the cooler central-California summer had a little to do with that too). We still went out to dinner on Friday nights. We still went on weekend get-aways and day-trip excursions. They just weren't as frequent. You've all been there, right?
The following summer I had to time a work trip (my annual Naval Reserves requirement) during my husband's time-off from getting his MBA (also thanks to the Navy). My training was to take place in Hawaii for two weeks in June. The plan was for Hubs and Buddy Man to join me and to work in some family vacation time while I was there. No such luck. As has happened many times since we began dating, the Navy shuffled our plans just enough that we weren't able to squeeze in that little bonus trip, and I went alone. Shortly after I came home, I found out that I was pregnant again!!
The next six months (our last in California) were a whirlwind of activity. Still with the date nights and a few day trips. Still with making the most of our time there. But also planning. Planning our move back East, with sight-seeing worked in to make up for a missed vacation. Only for a car-sick toddler and lots of ice and snow to foil our plans and force us to cancel nearly every single one of our planned stops. Planning our "substitute" vacation yet again, this time centered around our fifth anniversary and following the birth of our second child. A much-needed get-away after two years of no vacation. A time to reconnect. A weekend of no kids. Then life happened again. We moved back to Virginia. We bought a new house. We had a baby. I began again on the path toward becoming an RN and finishing my second bachelor's degree. The timing just didn't work out and our weekend trip with no kids to celebrate our anniversary became a day-trip to DC to see the Cherry Blossoms with the kids and replacing our big-screen TV in the basement as a gift to one-another.
And now here we are again, in the middle of June, with no plans for a summer vacation. No dreams to getting away to a place we've never been before. No excitement as we plan adventures and excursions and research restaurants and must-see landmarks. Instead, we refocus, knowing that our dreams and long-term goals are straining our budget right now, so we have to sacrifice yet another week away. Knowing that we have two little boys now who need us, so our priorities have shifted, and therefore so have our vacation expectations. Knowing that the timing just isn't right, yet again. Knowing that we have two mortgages, two kids who will soon be in full-time daycare, one adult (me) in school full-time, and only one income.
So we're hatching a plan. A plan for our first-ever stay-cation. I've heard about them on TV. I've read about them online. And really, they're not much different than a few weekend excursions and daytime activities all rolled into on. The main difference is that I'll still be cooking and we won't have a hotel room. Hubs has plenty of vacation time to use, so we're planning on him taking about a week off of work. And in the coming weeks, we'll be doing some research to find fun things to do in our area. Family activities. Less expensive outings. Museums, parks, historical sights, kid-friendly venues, and a few restaurants mixed in. I have a few ideas up my sleeve, and I'll be sure to pass them along once we firm up our plan!
It's so easy to look at what's missing in life and be sad. It's far more difficult, and also more rewarding, to look at new possibilities, then turn them into wonderful opportunities and even better memories!
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