The Getaway

(Frosty beer not pictured)

Sorry I have been MIA for a few weeks, between getting sick and then travel for work, I haven’t had the chance to talk about the weekend of a lifetime.  I was able to surprise my wife with a 10 year anniversary trip.  I had my mom come up to watch the kids, so Lauren and I jetted off early, OK REALLY early on a Friday morning to St. Lucia.  She had never left the country before so was a little nervous but it was an awesome time.  She started planning another trip there for us, one with her mom and one with her friend for a girl’s weekend before we even left.  We stayed at Sandals Halcyon for a very short 4 days and 3 nights, but the break was needed and definitely enjoyed!

(The wife sure looks relaxed)

We made friends with a newlywed couple from Ireland on the hour and a half (scary) drive on the wrong side of the road from the airport to the resort.  Our driver was charming and wanted to teach us all about the island and culture along with food and wildlife.  We stopped 3 times (luckily) to take a picture of the scenery, one to get a beer which was becoming apparently necessary and once to a food stop to eat some local bread and cheese which was fantastic and only $1!  I did not know what we were in for, until we were greeted at the resort with a glass of champagne and a cool towel, that’s when I knew we were in good hands.  We couldn’t wait to get wet, we got in the pool and got some drinks at the swim up bar and felt the warm waters of the Caribbean.  We met another nice newlywed couple from Ohio and hung out with them at the bar (this seems to be a pattern) that evening while enjoying the entertainment and chocolate buffet.  We met back up with the Irish couple the following night at the same bar and shut it down some time after 2:00am (we are too old for the crap).  We decided to splurge and had a candlelight dinner on the beach with a private waiter and the food was phenomenal, we earlier had a couples’ scented massage (though my congestion broke my sniffer).  The swim up bar was a great time and I cannot say enough about the friendly staff.

We swam, we kayaked, we relaxed, we recharged and we reconnected.  Knowing that our kids were in good hands took a great weight off us and allowed us to not only enjoy ourselves but go back to being Mark and Lauren for a few days.  I have been over-stressed between learning a new job, school full time and everything else that goes with being a dad and husband and was really feeling burnt out.  I know that I was most likely taking it out on Lauren and the kids unintentionally.  This short vacation gave us time to talk and be goofy and do just what we wanted for a change (which might have included staying in bed instead of going zip lining like we had planned).  Though we walked right back into the craziness, I believe that this trip brought Lauren and I closer and reminded us of simpler times and why we married each other before we were mommy and daddy.  This type of trip is obviously not practical on a normal basis, but we all need time to be adults.  Go out to dinner, take a walk, cuddle, put your phones down and sit outside after the kids go to bed, just do something alone and together and build your relationship with each other and I promise that you will become a better person, spouse and parent.