Parents Deserve Much Needed Breaks

As I shared on a previous post, I was fortunate enough to have the chance to go to Australia with my husband. Wanting to follow up on my trip, I put together a tip. When presented with the opportunity to have a "parental break," don't walk, RUN. I had no idea that I was oxygen deprived until I took my pulse. Initially it was hard to transition. Australia is coming into their rainy/winter season so the first couple of days, I was jet lagged and wondered why I traveled half way around the world to see winter. Wasn't it just yesterday that I decided that I hated winter, and even if it meant hiding in a Snow Bird's suitcase, I was out of here in the fall? Once the jet lag subsided from the 26 hour difference, things got brighter. I reconnected with a girlfriend that I LOVE and haven't seen in four years. She lives in Brisbane and moved when her husband was relocated. With no kids, her job was to have fun, and FUN we had. We did everything guys would hate. We shopped looking at the same bracelets for an hour lost in indecision, trying on different colors, different styles. We did Yoga. We watched Brothers and Sisters. We talk endlessly through the night. We drank wine, took silly pictures, and giggled. We went to a health food store and my girlfriend taught me to cook hummus, lentils, and other vegetarian treats. When my husband called, he wanted to know if I was preparing to write the next version of Eat, Pray, Love and also wanted to know if I was traveling in my Birkenstocks. I proudly announced that I had a picture holding a koala and that I fed kangaroos. He was green with envy, but happy for me. Feeling bad, I wished he could have time for fun. As our main bread winner, he tends to get jipped in that department. So $500 worth of broken umbrellas at home , a tornado that touched down, and a major flood in my bathroom, l am still thrilled that I went and the best part was that I couldn't wait to get home. Now that, is a real vacation.