What wonderful weekend! Finally getting away together ….
In the past 20 years since having children we have not had time by ourselves more than one night, more than 20 miles from home. We didn’t need anything super fancy or very luxurious. We just needed time by ourselves to reconnect. Lisa and I were finally able to spend a quiet weekend by ourselves, reconnecting.
Why is getting away together so important for married couples?
Relaxation
We all need time to recover from the stress this life puts on us. A quiet weekend away from home and responsibilities does wonders to remove that constant feeling of being under pressure. No more constant feeling of I have to be working on this or fixing that.
For days we could talk, relax or just sit quietly without the need to look at our watch, answer the phone or take care of some responsibility. We have a priority to make a date at least once a week. But that is not the same as have a few days in a row where we didn’t have something else scheduled that day. The short weekly time alone is important as well but it does not lesson the stress that life brings nearly as much as having whole days with nothing to-do!
Bonding
Our relationships, especially the marriage relationship, is strengthened with common experiences. Spending time, just the two of us, is priceless. You know those couples that can complete each other sentences or know what the other is thinking without a word being said. That kind of connection is forged by those one on one bonding moments.
Our weekend was purposely vacant of scheduled activities. It was mostly a “fly by the seat of our pants” type of trip.
- We went to the Oceanic for lunch, just because I’ve never been there before.
- We went shopping, because we wanted get something memorable (and to stock the room with junk food).
- We had to stop at Krispy Kreme — the HOT NOW light was on.
- We slept when we were sleepy.
- We ate Munchies when we were hungry. Yes, I ate the Fat Hog.
- We took a walk on the beach, just because it seemed like a fun thing to do at the time.
- We saw London Has Fallen, because we wanted to see it.
None of these activities were scheduled, except for the movie time. This took all the pressure off of us. It was the most relaxing and wonderful time we’ve had in decades. Several times since returning home we mentioned that we wish we were back.
Getting Away Together Again
We are definitely doing this again. But we are not going to wait 20 years to schedule the next get away. We committed to doing this at least once, twice or maybe four times a year.
