Have ever gone on a trip and when you get back home you think, “Man, I need a vacation from my vacation!” It’s not like the chores were suddenly done by mice, sweeping dust under the rug, and folding laundry while whistling.
No, that only happens in fairy tales.
We moms get home from a weekend trip and now it’s Monday and you have all the weekend and workweek errands still to do. Oh, and the kids are out of milk because why on Earth would you buy milk before heading out of town!?
The staycation after your vacation.
For once, I learned my lesson and I took two days off following my vacation to take a vacation! Yes, you heard that right, mama. I took two extra days off and it felt better then my actual vacation.
Don’t get me wrong.
My husband did an incredible job planning a trip to the Sequoia National Forest. And in a pandemic! He thought of all the safety measures and planned everything from when we would leave, what we needed to pack, reservations, everything.
And it was magical.
We had wildlife grazing on the grass outside our rental home. The kids both got to see snow fall for the first time in their lives. My son even built a snowman, albeit the world’s smallest snowman, but a snowman nonetheless. He really surprised me by planning this trip. And I have to say I was really proud of him.
Yet, as anyone who has traveled with little ones can attest, it’s not always a relaxing trip traveling with a toddler and a preschooler. I also knew I’d be welcomed home to all the things I never get done.
So I planned for a staycation when we returned, and boy am I glad I did.
In the three whole days I gave myself, I caught up on chores, wrote three blog posts, read an entire book without pictures, responded to personal emails, and started Christmas shopping. I could have started training for a marathon, but who are we kidding here.
I came back to work today relaxed for the first time since I can remember.
And it showed. My team commented that I seemed so much more patient and calm. I knocked out work like it was my first day on the job. I actually wanted to play with my kids and wasn’t stressed about the dishes from dinner being washed. I felt inspired to keep going so I wrote more blog posts. I felt really motivated and productive.
This staycation got me thinking.
I know not everyone gets the opportunity to take time off. I used to work what felt like endlessly, staying at the office well past dinner time, missing baths and bedtime cuddles, feeling guilty for going home early for preschool concerts. I could never shake the feeling that I was always letting someone down – whether it was my coworkers or my family.
It left me feeling burned out and short fused.
Earlier this year, I turned down a job that paid substantially more money to have the paid time off and the flexibility to be with my family, not just when it was needed, but when it was wanted.
And, that was the best decision I could have made.
I feel the balance I always knew I deserved even when I knew there will always be more to do.
I’m not sure if – without my staycation – I could have felt I had the time to write for fun again. And yet, here I am. So, the next time you’re feeling guilty for taking that one extra day off, if you can, take it. Sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
