It’s not very often that Mike and I get to sneak away for a little quiet walk together. We have two kids we travel with, usually by ourselves. The opportunity doesn’t really pop up all that often.
Traveling with friends over Labor Day weekend allowed us to leave 3-year-old Dek with some of his favorite playmates for a few minutes. As the sun set I actually got to stroll hand in hand with my husband down the beach.
I didn’t have to warn anyone to stay away from the water, not to eat the sand or carry a 30-pound toddler back to our hotel after his legs got too tired. I just got to enjoy a few minutes of peace with my best friend.
We weren’t truly alone of course. Four-month-old Ty was strapped onto Mike fast asleep. It was as close as we would be getting to a little alone time though.
As the sun set we came upon a few large rocks exposed as the tide went out. All sorts of sea life clung to the hard surface creating another world.
Brilliant orange and purple starfish held onto the rocks for dear life. Mussels crackled and popped as seawater spurt out of their shells. Suddenly I found myself wishing Dek were with us. He would have loved to explore this spontaneous aquarium.
We would have to save a visit with Dek for another day. For now, I was just going to enjoy my husband…and infant son.
How do you find time for yourselves when you are on vacation?
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walking on travels: keep traveling, keep moving forward;
take your kids walking on life’s path to adventure
written by Keryn Means
September 27, 2012 at 10:56 pm
Your romantic walk looks so scenic. This year, I’ve started putting the kids in their own hotel room if we have to book two of them. This has been a big (scary) leap for me. Of course, you’re not quite at this stage, yet. Before, we’d settle for gazing into each others eyes for a few minutes while the kids worked on the Kids Menu activity sheet.
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September 28, 2012 at 12:25 am
Hello, my boys are now 8 and 6 and I don’t think we’ve ever really had any time out from them, they don’t even go to school! But they haven’t clipped our travelling wings at all, we just travel differently, more slowly. We still all share a room, so no nocturnal privacy either! Lovely photos, it looks beautiful there.
( I tried to subscribe but your Feedburner won’t let me)
September 28, 2012 at 9:20 am
Alyson- I’m looking into what is going on with Feedburner. Thanks for trying at least! Hope to have it fixed by the end of the day.
September 28, 2012 at 1:39 am
Stunning photos. We still haven’t cracked the “time for yourselves” code — just the hours after our 3yo goes to sleep, when we’re in the other hotel bed watching Netflix DVDs with the sound down low. Yeah, we know how to party.
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September 28, 2012 at 9:18 am
This was a VERY rare moment for us. Usually we are hiding in the dark with our Kindles and laptops too waiting for Dek and Ty to pass out. We have been none to freeze on balconies and hide in bathrooms too
© Keryn Means/ walkingon travels recently posted..Crepe Obsession
September 28, 2012 at 4:27 am
Great shots — makes me want to travel there and take a walk alone just to soak it up.
Thanks for sharing!
September 28, 2012 at 4:38 am
Ahh… so sweet!
We had a date night tonight. Dropped Reuben off at my sister’s and went out for Korean BBQ. Then got home and Lee buried his head in some coding and left me upstairs alone! So much for the date!!!!!!!
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September 28, 2012 at 6:13 am
Aw- so sweet! I love this!! And your pictures are stunning. With an 11, 10, and 3 year old – there is no time for “alone time” on vacation. But this is a small time of our lives where we are filled with the joy of parenting and one day we will be alone and will miss all the chaos.
Thanks for linking up!
September 28, 2012 at 8:11 am
Those are some great beach photos! We occasionally travel with my parents or in-laws because we love spending time with them, but also because they are usually willing to give us a night off from the kids during our trip. Of course, we make sure they have time to get out on their own as well. The break feels so good because family travel can be intense.
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September 28, 2012 at 8:17 am
I love this post! At this point, that’s exactly what we do–go on long walks with Bergen hanging out in the back of the ergo taking in the scenery (or the stroller works too). It’s going to get harder as he gets older though. Like others have said, we’ve also embraced the time we have in the hotel after he goes to sleep for the night. Oh, and we’ve decided to hire a babysitter for 2 nights when we are in Kauai next month! I think the extra expense will be totally worth it.
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September 28, 2012 at 8:17 am
I’m glad you were able to get away for a relaxing walk on the beach – and your pics are amazing! Not much alone time happening here either – and Katie now stays up later than us!
Lisa recently posted..A Picnic at the Ferryland Lighthouse
September 28, 2012 at 9:18 am
Lisa- Isn’t Katie old enough to babysit for a few hours yet? I think that time is coming soon
© Keryn Means/ walkingon travels recently posted..Fall Weekend Getaways Around the Pacific Northwest
September 28, 2012 at 11:42 am
Oh, she’s old enough but they start fighting the minute I leave the house! I left them alone one night last week so that I could go to book club and I hadn’t been there 15 minutes when my phone started ringing because they were fighting and thought that I should come home! But she’s a brilliant babysitter when it comes to anyone but her sister – she’s really hoping that yours are coming to TBEX Toronto!
Lisa recently posted..A Picnic at the Ferryland Lighthouse
September 28, 2012 at 10:21 pm
Lisa- sounds like me and my sister when we were younger. We fought like cats and dogs but are the best of friends. Something about sisters I guess. And we were both superb babysitters too
I’ll keep you and Katie posted about TBEX. I am REALLY hoping I don’t have to bring kids. I will have so much more fun if I don’t have to worry about them. Plus it’s my one weekend off a year.
© Keryn Means/ walkingon travels recently posted..VIDEO: Last Look at Cannon Beach, Oregon
September 29, 2012 at 9:51 pm
It’s hard to steal those moments when the kids are young. I remember occasionally locking ourselves in the bathroom for a few minutes on vacations – when the kids were asleep, of course. It gets easier though, don’t worry.
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