It has been a very long time since my husband and I have gotten away together…without kids. So a few months ago we began planning for our upcoming 20th wedding anniversary. Our destination was Maine.
We looked at cottages to stay in, entertainment (such as whale watching) and thought about eating our favorite food, seafood (only much fresher). We dreamed about stepping into the ocean. It was going to be a very romantic getaway.
We even planned the dates we would go and my husband began looking at airfare. But then as the months began to pass by, medical bills started to pile up. Pretty soon we came to the realization that this dreamed about vacation simply wasn’t going to happen.
While it was certainly disappointing, we have since come to be thankful. The dates we were scheduled to go was right before Hurricane Irene hit the east coast. So we would have already been there during the storm. We would have also likely found ourselves stranded there longer than planned.
That realization made us almost appreciate those darned medical bills. But still, we are about to celebrate a real milestone in our marriage…20 years of marriage. I know this is a huge deal because first of all, not many couples make it that far. But I also think about where we came from, the struggles in life we have overcome, the challenges and hurdles that stood in our way in an attempt to tear us apart. We have made it this far.
I feel grateful. I feel humbled. I feel appreciative. Do I always feel this way? No, not usually. Most days we are just plugging along, doing our thing. We are tied up with our children, work, taking care of the home and other activities that consume our time. We are so busy doing life that we sometimes forget to pause and reflect on how truly blessed we are.
Still…I hope to be able to save up some money and at least get away for a weekend. We need that time to break away from usual life. We need time away to just be a couple and nothing else.
Do you take vacations with your spouse? What are some ideas (low cost) you have for a romantic getaway?
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