Relaxing on the lanai
It’s not easy to unwind from life when you are on vacation. It is a gradual process that takes a little time.
My husband Mike always gets sick with a fever for 12 hours at some point on our trip. His body just collapses from working too many hours and not enough play time. Once he passes that fevered point he goes into full on vacation mode.
For me it’s a much slower process. First I realize I can hand the kids off to someone else instead of juggling too much with only two hands. Next is the knowledge that I can take a shower and there is only a 10% chance a small person will walk in on me to ask a question. And then comes sleep.
Enter the start of our Kauai adventures.
Polihale beach
We arrived on the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands on Saturday, just 5 days ago. Slowly but surely our bodies are starting to unwind. Two demanding kids still take their toll on us, especially with a 2 hour time change that sees them getting up at 5 and 6am each morning. I still have to remind myself that Mike is there to help. It’s not just the boys and me; daddy is actually on this trip from start to finish for the first time in a while.
I’ve heard that it takes at least two weeks to fully relax and let go of your everyday life stress. By next week I expect we will be on our way to shedding our usual parent/worker bee rolls and just appreciating the time we have with our kids. The fact that Dek wants to play with us is something we can’t take for granted.
And of course the day after we hit the two-week mark, and have slowed down and gotten into the island groove we will go home. Such is life. I’ll just start planning our next trip.
How do you unwind from the daily grind when you travel?
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walking on travels: keep traveling, keep moving forward;
take your kids walking on life’s path to adventure
Slowing Down on Kauai with Kids written by Keryn Means
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January 9, 2013 at 10:27 am
Enjoy your vacation! And relax!
Jessica recently posted..Planning a Trip to the US Holocaust Museum for Kids
January 9, 2013 at 1:00 pm
The pictures are so lovely and I hope you find that vacation/relaxation groove soon!
For us, I need to make sure to build in the first day/two as deliberate do nothing time. Don’t schedule museums, or tours, or super active activities (which is SO hard for me…because I love to plan!). We usually just hang out, or go walking around the town or wherever we are. And, I never physically take work with me, but I know I do mentally. So, it’s helpful for me to be somewhere so different, and so stimulating (like a foreign country), to be able to think beyond work stress.
Tiffany Fite recently posted..Merry (cough) Christmas!
January 9, 2013 at 4:51 pm
Wonderful! Maybe this will inspire Eli to finally get to the islands with me!
January 9, 2013 at 4:57 pm
Love this article. I will be heading there myself in almost exactly 48 hrs. But it will be a homecoming for me to see my family. I certainly hope you guys are able to relax and enjoy it. It is truly a magical place.
January 10, 2013 at 4:51 pm
What a beautiful capture of the rainbow. It’s simply magnificent and magical to me.
Dourgi@Ditch the Degree recently posted..Go To College or Get a Job? Life After High School
January 10, 2013 at 5:06 pm
That looks glorious. I can’t wait to visit Kauai for the first time!
Average Traveller recently posted..Disney California Adventures Paradise Pier Long Exposure Photos
January 10, 2013 at 8:09 pm
My husband and I honeymooned in Kauai 10 years ago. Gorgeous island and the perfect place to relax and unwind. Enjoy!!!
January 10, 2013 at 11:50 pm
What a perfect spot for an unwind…Kauai looks beautiful. A great time to start planning the next trip or three! Have fun
jenny@atasteoftravel recently posted..Istanbul’s Aya Sofia Museum
January 11, 2013 at 3:55 am
We sleep. For hours and hours until we can’t sleep anymore.
That’s what we did on our Alaskan cruise. At the time we’d booked we had no idea that we would be packing up a home in Alabama and moving back to Ohio in less than a two week warning. It was a very stressful time and honestly, I didn’t even want to go on vacation at that point. Turned out to be such a blessing and just what we needed. And the perfect reminder that sometimes you really do just need to slow down. 
Love your pictures and story. Enjoy your break!
Tonya @ The Traveling Praters recently posted..Save Money Attending Homeschool Days
January 11, 2013 at 5:11 am
Gorgeous photo on the beach!! I have enjoying following all of your adventures on Facebook and Instagram!! Looks heavenly!!
Thanks for linking up with us!!!
Becca@ R We There Yet Mom? recently posted..Friday Daydreamin’: A Whirlwind Trip to DFW
January 11, 2013 at 6:50 am
LOVE this. i’d like to be there, for sure.
wandering educators recently posted..Madagascar: More than Lemurs
January 11, 2013 at 10:30 am
Beautiful photos, Keryn! Often we find that we are doing so much on our trips that it’s hard to unwind but this last trip over New Year’s was a true vacation – we did very little but relax and sleep and it was wonderful. Now I’m ready to plan some hard-core traveling!!
Lisa recently posted..Magical Disney Time Cruising the Caribbean
January 11, 2013 at 12:55 pm
Lisa – the agreement hubby and I have is that I can have us run all over the world as long as I give him ONE beach vacation a year so he can sleep and do nothing but swim and play with the kids. Turns out I need it just as much as him
© Keryn Means/ walkingon travels recently posted..Get to Know… Have Baby Will Travel
January 11, 2013 at 11:29 am
Reading for hours on end is what I love to do when I travel – that and a glass or two of wine starting at 5 pm makes for a very relaxing day. Enjoy your time in Kauai.
Leigh recently posted..#FriFotos – 10 Knock Your Socks Off Views
January 11, 2013 at 12:53 pm
I’ve learned to make a point of not jamming as much as we possibly can into every vacation and to schedule more downtime than I think we’ll actually want. Often that’s the most memorable part of the vacation.
eileen at FamiliesGo! recently posted..4 Family-Friendly Resorts in the Virgin Islands
January 11, 2013 at 1:25 pm
Gorgeous pics, especially that amazing rainbow! Thanks to having kids we have learned the key to slow travel means taking naps, only picking one big activity per day (anything else is a surprising bonus), renting houses in residential or natural settings also help us to ease into vacation mode, and ending each day with a nice meal or the very least a nice glass of wine. Happy Travels!
January 11, 2013 at 3:23 pm
Does that really happen to your husband? That must be awful to look forward to every time! Well, at least you have the opportunity to stay 2 whole weeks instead of just a few days that would hardly be worth it. Love the lounge chair photo – the little one’s just chillin’!
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January 13, 2013 at 1:41 pm
Have a lovely vacation:) Looks beautiful! I love travel just because it’s a break from my messy kitchen:) We’ve never been to Kauai and your pictures just make me want to get away there now-it’s so chilly in Seattle!
Terumi recently posted..Lovely Place to Pack a Lunch (Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle WA)
May 14, 2013 at 8:33 pm
Love the rainbow shot! so beautiful. It always takes us a while to relax too. It’s especially hard chasing after a toddler (as you well know!)
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