TRIP vs. VACATION

On our way to NYC!

We've been fortunate to travel a lot, mostly because my husband's job keeps him out of town Monday-Friday every week. He's a consultant which means he travels to different company sites every week and for us, means he racks up the airline miles and hotel points like a rockstar. We consider it our consolation prize for him being gone most of the time. 

First of all, a lot of people ask me about how I raise three kids with no husband around all week. The truth is he has traveled in this job for as long as we've been married and I've never known any different. As any of you mommas out there reading this know, you do what you've got to do. Whether it's sitting in a tub full of throw up in the middle of the night or sitting in the middle of traffic with a screaming, colicky baby in the backseat for hours. You just DO. Everyone has their "stuff" that makes life challenging at times. My husband traveling out of town for most of the week definitely has its downfalls, but it has its perks too ;)

Back to our travel -- we are very fortunate to be able to take our family on trips (that's one of the perks!) Notice I said, taking my family on TRIPS. In my opinion, a TRIP is very different from a VACATION. Let's be clear - I LOVE and adore my children and love taking them on trips all the time. But for me, a vacation would include such things as sipping margaritas by the pool, not knowing what time or day it is, reading a trashy magazine until I fall asleep in a lawn chair, sleeping until I wake on my own, and going out to dinner with adults. Therefore -- going anywhere with my kids is not a vacation for me. The main thing I learned from clearing this up in my mind was the importance of expectations. As a new mom, I expected when I went on a trip I might do all of the above things (how naive I was!).  I would find myself frustrated and upset when I didn't get to read US Weekly alone with a poolside cocktail in hand. When I learned the difference (in my mind!) between my expectation and reality, it made things much easier for me. If I was going on a trip with the family, I expected to be on a TRIP. That means something entirely different --  and not worse or better! It means more planning; it means playing in the pool instead of sitting next to it; it means trying to keep everyone on a schedule; it means staying up late playing games; it means eating kid-friendly meals with an ice cream dessert every night. This is FUN too! But don't expect one when you are doing the other. You are setting yourself up for a lot of frustration. Buy into the TRIP! It's FUNNY to be sharing beds when we cram five people in a hotel room. It's FUN to play games in the pool with your kids! It's great to have ice cream after every. single. meal. Enjoy the trip! But don't go into it thinking it will be a vacation. Because it's not.