I just returned home from a girls’ weekend away. When I say “away”, I mean primarily that I was “away” from my children, staying in a bach with two friends who were also away from their children for the weekend. And let me tell you, much as I love my children (and I do, I really do), I also love being away from my children for a girls’ weekend.
I don’t go away for many girls’ weekends. In fact, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve done this in this 12 years since the birth of my oldest child. What I’ve learned about myself is that I don’t need a fancy hotel or a spa experience or a bottle of wine – in fact, this was a completely alcohol-free weekend – I just need a bed to myself, a shower to myself, a bathroom break to myself. I think the key words here are “to myself”.
The bach we stayed in for this girls’ weekend wasn’t flash. It was pretty basic, actually, but the view was amazing. And you know what else was amazing? Sitting on the deck watching the sunset, a cup of tea in one hand, a book in the other, and not a small child in sight. No one needing a nappy changed or an apple cut up or a plaster stuck to a nonexistent boo-boo. Just me, my two friends, and no parental responsibilities.
I wish I’d had a girls’ weekend when I was pregnant. I could have used an escape from “real life”, even if morning sickness, fatigue, and inability to see my feet were things I couldn’t leave back at home. Girls’ weekends are a balm for the soul. Good friends, good conversation, good food (one of my friends cooks amazing Mexican meals and we just let her go for it). These are the things that rejuvenate the soul and refresh the mind.
If you can, book yourself a girls’ weekend away, preferably somewhere with no internet and TV, and give yourself a break from real life. Parenthood can be relentless, and sometimes you can forget how much you need to just sit and breathe and be, without any expectations or obligations.
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