My husband's birthday was quickly approaching and I was beyond stressed out with work and health concerns. My health was impacting my work, my work was impacting my mental health and all of this was impacting my home. I reached a point where I was visiting my doctor every 15-30 days for bloodwork, pressure checks, and rediagnosis. My anxiety had reached an all-time high that caused me to have many sleepless nights, frightful panic attacks and the worse migraines I could imagine.
My work felt numbing because I couldn't perform at my best and I was letting my team down. But every day, I struggled more and more to get out of bed to face what faced me. My family needed me. My children needed me. My husband needed me. But most importantly....I needed me.
My doctor told me I needed a break from it all. Several times she told me if I didn't get a break...I would break. My husband told me I needed to find a way to get away for at least a day or two. But who could break from it all when I had a freshman in college that needed me to help her manage her time, work pressures that were bubbling over and sports seasons that had just begun.
How was I supposed to just take a break from it all and unplug??
Oh yeah....did I tell you that my husband birthday was quickly approaching and I needed to figure out how to make this work, too. I needed to find a way to get away and without the minis, because this is the last weekend before their basketball games started. It is November and it's cold but I needed the beach and the water to recharge. I always make plans in my head but don't "pull the trigger" This time was different. I knew that if I didn't get away now, I would never take the opportunity.
VIRGINIA BEACH WATERFRONT HERE WE COME!!!
Due to the time of year that we were facing, beach vacation-offseason, the hotel rates were remarkably low and with the Marriott points I earned, through work travel, I was able to find a hotel room with an ocean front view. I only had to come out of pocket $56 deposit to hold our room until we checked out. And because we are vegans, we always carry our food with us.
We packed a bag, a few groceries, kissed the kids and hit the road. We planned for this drive to be about four and a half hours but what we didn't count on was the downpour of rain that felt like it followed us from Maryland. But instead of blowing off this getaway and getting distracted by the weather, we kept our promise to each other to let it go. I chose to drive down while my husband navigated our way. We turned off the radio and made a rule to have a "no work/kids/bills" conversation. This may sound hard but I can tell you, this was the best conversation we had in years. Our road trip went from four and a half hours to six hours (due to the rain and traffic) but it went by in what felt like seconds. These moments reminded me of when we first met and would stay up all night just talking. These moments were moments I desperately needed.
When we arrived at the hotel, our front desk attendees explained that we had full access to the pool and many other amenities that were not being used. I must say waking up to the sound of the ocean was surreal and relaxing. But spending the time with my husband made this time away feel like a dream.
Many times we stop or hesitate from unplugging because we think we can't. We have to give ourselves the opportunity to let go and relax from the daily pressures that we place upon ourselves. We put deadlines and speak obstacles into our path as we live and breathe. Take some time to unplug and reconnect to where you find comfort. You won't regret it and who knows...you may find that old happy spirit that was living far inside.
My work felt numbing because I couldn't perform at my best and I was letting my team down. But every day, I struggled more and more to get out of bed to face what faced me. My family needed me. My children needed me. My husband needed me. But most importantly....I needed me.
My doctor told me I needed a break from it all. Several times she told me if I didn't get a break...I would break. My husband told me I needed to find a way to get away for at least a day or two. But who could break from it all when I had a freshman in college that needed me to help her manage her time, work pressures that were bubbling over and sports seasons that had just begun.
How was I supposed to just take a break from it all and unplug??
Oh yeah....did I tell you that my husband birthday was quickly approaching and I needed to figure out how to make this work, too. I needed to find a way to get away and without the minis, because this is the last weekend before their basketball games started. It is November and it's cold but I needed the beach and the water to recharge. I always make plans in my head but don't "pull the trigger" This time was different. I knew that if I didn't get away now, I would never take the opportunity.VIRGINIA BEACH WATERFRONT HERE WE COME!!!
Due to the time of year that we were facing, beach vacation-offseason, the hotel rates were remarkably low and with the Marriott points I earned, through work travel, I was able to find a hotel room with an ocean front view. I only had to come out of pocket $56 deposit to hold our room until we checked out. And because we are vegans, we always carry our food with us.
We packed a bag, a few groceries, kissed the kids and hit the road. We planned for this drive to be about four and a half hours but what we didn't count on was the downpour of rain that felt like it followed us from Maryland. But instead of blowing off this getaway and getting distracted by the weather, we kept our promise to each other to let it go. I chose to drive down while my husband navigated our way. We turned off the radio and made a rule to have a "no work/kids/bills" conversation. This may sound hard but I can tell you, this was the best conversation we had in years. Our road trip went from four and a half hours to six hours (due to the rain and traffic) but it went by in what felt like seconds. These moments reminded me of when we first met and would stay up all night just talking. These moments were moments I desperately needed.
When we arrived at the hotel, our front desk attendees explained that we had full access to the pool and many other amenities that were not being used. I must say waking up to the sound of the ocean was surreal and relaxing. But spending the time with my husband made this time away feel like a dream.
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| Morning view from our hotel balcony |
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| They were beginning to put Santa and his sleigh on the pier |
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| I felt like that sailboat in the middle of nowhere but I felt like this is where I belonged. |
