4 Ways to Ensure A Relaxing Getaway

4 Ways to Ensure a Relaxing Getaway

After a very long winter break full of countless lunches, dishes, and gently guiding/yelling at my kids, to say I needed a break would be quite the understatement.

Luckily, it was Jake’s turn to plan our anniversary this year and he timed it perfectly. Once Monday hit, instead of diving back into work, we hit the road for the 2.5 hour drive to Portland, OR…

Now these 4 tips for celebrating a night away may not be revolutionary, but they were instrumental in turning my stress into relaxation and taking the time to invest in our marriage.

1) Do not bring kids:

We had a little childcare hiccup that had us ready to bring our toddler to the Portland Trailblazers game and I’m so glad we didn’t have to. Thank God for our nanny who was willing to stay overnight and knowing the kids were taken care of allowed me to turn off roughly 75% of my mom brain. We had amazing seats but it was definitely close quarters, so having a 2.5 year old with us would not have worked out well for anyone.

2) Get out of your element:

Granted, I know Covid has made this harder than before, but especially since we’ve stayed close to home this past year and mostly indoors due to the rain-filled Seattle winters, getting out of town felt like a weight being lifted off. We even got some beautiful sun breaks on the drive and the change of scenery was soooo nice. We’re NBA fans in our house and since Seattle doesn’t have a pro team right now, (rude) going to the Blazers game was an experience we couldn’t get at home, making it feel extra special.

3) Relax:

Whatever relaxation looks like to you, make sure you prioritize that. We stayed at Hotel Eastlund which had an incredible bathtub and shower. We have a very old tub in our house so anytime we stay at a hotel, the bathtub makes all the difference for me. Did I take a handful of baths during a one-night stay? Yes, yes I did. Because I could! And a steady stream of drinks and/or herbal refreshments never hurts either. Well, that’s not entirely true, since having more than 2 drinks now results in me immediately feeling like garbage…one of the many joys of being in my mid-30s :) Regardless, relaxation was the goal and it was achieved!

4) Be intentional about connecting with your S.O:

I’ve found that the routines and workload of every day life with kiddos can often make your partner feel more like a co-worker or logistics coordinator than a romantic partner. So the rare times when we can have uninterrupted conversations, I want them to be meaningful. We do an app by Gottman that has decks of cards with questions to spur conversation and get to know your significant other more…even after years of being together. It’s fun to slip back into the feeling and habits of when we were dating and remember “oh ya, I really like you!” I love using our anniversary as a check-in to make sure we each feel seen, loved, and talk about our goals as a family moving forward.

Anyways, we had an awesome time and grateful to have help with our kids and the ability to do fun stuff like this together. Tell me about a favorite trip you’ve been on recently!

Much love,

-SG