24-7, 365 days a year, my husband and I are mom and dad. We're discussing the needs of our daughters, swapping roles such as bath time, changing diapers, dropping off and picking the kids up from daycare etc. Sometimes, we go a month--maybe even two--without even going on a date because... no babysitter. With all that's going on, especially with our kids, our titles of husband and wife are watered down by full-time jobs as parents. One of my favorite ways to reverse this is by packing it up and taking a little getaway.
It had been nearly five years since my husband and I had been on a vacation. He flew me to Greece in 2015 (shown in the photos below this paragraph), but once Jhenesis was born, as first-time parents, we were afraid to even take her outside those first few months let alone let her stay anywhere overnight. Then, there's work... and school. There's baby weight to be lost first before wanting to go lie on someone's beach. And before you know it, years have gone by and the thought of going on a vacation is no longer a priority. Work, children, and managing life is the priority. Nothing is wrong with that, but none of it and centered on us--the husband and wife. In all of that, the focus is on everyone else except us. In comes my favorite part about getaways with your mate.
Kids? What kids? My husband and I are both "childish" if you will. We don't take life too seriously at heart, but on a day-to-day, raising our kids is serious. It's our main focus. On vacation, however, we can be reckless (in a good way). We forget we have kids, forget deadlines, forget the girls need this or that. Our needs are first. We touch each other more because we don't have a kid in our hands. We forget that we're teachers, forget rules, forget what our parents might say if they knew what we were up to (lol). I can't share some examples of those things because, as you all know, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! But lets just say our "one vacation per year" rule has changed because we can't wait to be alone in another world together just so we can forget everything all over again.
Conversation. Every single day, my husband and I talk. We discuss how our days went, we talk about the funny or not-so-funny things that happened at work. We'll say things such as "Jhune needs this" or "don't forget I have a meeting Thursday." We also kiss and hug... DAILY. We text throughout the day and tell one another how much we love one another or send flirty texts, but on vacation the conversation is completely different. The kisses almost always lead to something else. The hugs last super long because there is no jealous child trying to pull you apart, and the touching does not stop. And the flirting. The way my husband and I flirt is on TEN. From him catching me staring, or him giving me the eye and looking me up and down while he admires and compliments how I look that day. I know he appreciates my looks on a daily because I take care of myself, but lets face it--he has been seeing these same work outfits since I began teaching three years ago.
People say traveling helps couples remember why they fell in love in the first place, but I don't need help with that. My husband reminds me of that every day. The way I feel in the photos from our first vacation is the same exact way I feel today. But sometimes we do need to be reminded that, above everything, we are husband and wife, and a happy husband and wife creates your child's happy life.
Written with love,
S. S.
