As a single parent, it can be hard enough to structure your life in such a way as to make travel for work possible and plausible—when it comes to trying to justify and carve out time and resources for personal travel, a vacation, or fun—it can be downright impossible. We single parents have to wrestle with the guilt and the guilt-trips, in addition to the scheduling and resource allocation. But, that doesn’t mean that a little travel for fun is completely out of the question for single parents…
In the early years of my single parenthood, I just couldn’t talk myself into traveling without my kids. Every vacation was very kid and family-oriented and if I did travel, it was either for work or a brief weekend trip when my children were with their father. Now that my kids are older and my work life has changed to require some travel, I am also starting to feel increasingly comfortable with planning personal trips and traveling for fun. I still wrestle with the guilt a bit, and my kids are still prone to trying to lay down guilt trips, but I am learning that I am entitled to a little personal time and adventure even if I am a hard-working single mom.
The hardest part and the biggest justification for me has been resource allocation—it can be tough to decide to spend money on myself no matter what as a single parents—there seems to always be something that a child needs or the family needs and I berate myself: How could I think of spending money on myself—even for a new pair of shoes or expensive shampoo—as long as I have children to support? It has taken years for me to get to a place where I can and do spend money on myself and take time for myself as well. I know, it would be fabulous to have an encouraging bunch nudging me to take those trips and feed my soul with travel, but a single parent has to get pretty thick-skinned and decide to do things for his or herself without that approval. I’ve learned that as long as I am taking care of everyone and everything on the home front, a one or two-week trip just for me is not a crime. It doesn’t always have to be work-related either (although tagging a little personal trip onto the end of a business trip is a great single parent trick for getting in personal travel and relaxation, as well as taking care of business.)
See also: the TRAVEL Blog