Importance of Getting Away

This last weekend, my husband and I ventured to NYC and left our baby boy with grandma and grandpa. We wanted to visit two very good friends, attend a Knicks game (because one of said friends works for Madison Square Garden), go to a broadway show, and of course, eat at one of Bobby Flay's restaurants (I've already told you about my Food Network obsession). This trip was a much-needed Christmas gift for us as a couple. We are both very dedicated to our jobs and our family, and sometimes we just need a weekend to focus on ourselves.

All of you who are parents know that once you have kids, there are some luxuries that just go away: sleeping past 7 a.m. (at least until they're teenagers), going out for dinner and drinks ALL weekend, and walking out of the house without packing up a thousand things. Now, those things are of course replaced with: the most amazing laughter you've ever heard, the beauty of discoveries every day, and a perfect cuddling partner.

Despite all the absolute wonders that being a parent brings, it's so important to take time away and have some grown-up fun. When I decided to write this post, I wanted to do an online search to see what other's said about this topic. Surprisingly, very few people are writing about it! This made me wonder if other parents just don't do it very often, or if perhaps people don't want to admit that they NEED time away from their precious babies. One post I did find was on the San Francisco Chronicle's blog called "The Poop." In his post, Peter Hartlaub writes, "even if we had to leave our kids with a close friend or more distant relative, I would still do everything I could to get away. I've become convinced that jettisoning your offspring for a night or two is one of the healthiest things parents can do for everyone involved." - read the full post at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/parenting/detail?blogid=29&entry_id=45451.

Peter, I totally agree! Even though we missed our boy terribly and talked about him quite a bit, we had a great time exploring one of the most interesting cities in the world. We drank beer with friends, ate delicious New York-style pizza, slept past 9 in the morning (because we were up till 2 a.m.), and watched a Broadway show in Times Square! And, as you've probably guessed, our son was just fine without us for a few days. He had wonderful quality time with grandparents who are more than happy to spend quality alone time with him. When we got home, all we heard about was how much fun they had.

I truly hope that other parents recognize the value in just getting away, even if it's just for a night. It can be hard to let go, but we need to keep in mind that even though we're parents, we're also a part of a relationship that needs a little nurturing now and again. And let's get serious, we all need this for ourselves too (I mean, I really needed that purse from Chinatown!). Where should we go next time?