Flying Solo

     I am about to embark on my first solo vacation in ages. I am off to NY for a wedding on July 4^th.  While there is a work component to this trip and a kids element, really it is a long overdue chance at some alone time mixed in with what I hope will be some peace and quiet.

     This is a 3 day trip only. I am spending a good part of the first day driving up to visit a camp for kids with special needs that my husband and I are considering sending our son to. That is the kids element. Tuesday night will be spent hanging out with a friend and will possibly involve a trip to the theater. Wednesday is a day off. I may go to the beach, I may just walk around NYC and I may just stare into space. Whatever I do though, there will be no children yelling at me, no dirty hands smearing my clothes, no obligations (until the wedding starts) there will simply be some time to enjoy myself. Thursday is back to work, with a long work meeting scheduled, but I will still be in the city I love without my kids. So it will still feel like vacation.

     I cannot tell you how much I need this. It has been a very long time since I have had a break. My husband and I did go away in the winter for 5 days, which was amazing, but I worked every day of that week. July 4^th will be the first time in a long time that I don’t have to work and don’t have to be a mom. I can’t wait. I may even try to figure out how to sleep late for the first time in forever (although I doubt my internal alarm clock will allow it. I guess even 7:45 will be a dream come true!)

     If you ask my husband I have been very tense of late. My patience for my kids has been thin and I have been snappy. I have known all along that he is mostly right and that what I need is a chance to breathe, a chance to have some me time. Our trip to Israel was wonderful but intense. Trying to keep up with all we learned and balance things back at home is hard. My son is now between school and summer school and having him home for 2 weeks is hard on him and hard on me. I work from home, which allows for way too much time for him to be screaming and yelling in my presence. It is as if he saves it all up for the moment he sees me, and then lets loose. My babysitter begs me to leave because he is so much better behaved when I am not around.  As I said, I really need to get away.

     I hope I am not pinning too much hope on this short little trip. I hope it will be as refreshing, as I need it to be and that I will come back feeling a little less tense and a little more relaxed. To be honest, if I don’t I am pretty sure my husband will remind me that he sent me away for that reason and that now he is “off duty”.  No matter what though, I will enjoy myself and be sure to make it about me. I have earned this mini-vacation and I intend to enjoy every minute of it.

    Wheels up and off I go…. Except wait, of course, just my luck. They just told us to deplane and that the flight is now delayed 3 hours. Not an very auspicious start. Silver lining,  At least my kids aren’t with me!