Last year Drew and I – with much help from Drew’s best friend S’s wife K – went on vacation to Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper National Park.  It was the first non-camping/non-family/non-wedding related vacation we’d ever had. We’d never had a honeymoon.  We’d never gone anywhere together that didn’t involve a family visit or wedding in some way, shape, or form. It took us nearly 13 years to vacation together.  Alone. In complete control. Do the things we wanted to do. Or, more accurately, could afford to do.

So why did it take so long to go on vacation together?  Some of it was related to our jobs. We spent a lot of time apart while one (or both) of us was working out of town or out of country.  But let’s be honest.  99% of the reason we never vacationed together was because we couldn’t afford to do both the family/wedding visits AND personal vacations. Guilt piled up. Family won out. We visited.

Until last winter.  We took the 4 day trip to Jasper and had a fabulous time.

This year we’re going to San Diego Comic Con.  4 day passes to the Convention have been purchased. I used my NWA airmiles to arrange for our flights.  Hotel reservations have been made and we’ve joined the SoCal Browncoats brigade of volunteers. We’ll be soaking up the sun in Southern California for 2 weeks. A visit to Disneyland is on the horizon. Now we have to save a boatload of $$ for the hotel. *squeee*

We’ll likely miss a family wedding or gathering this year. And I don’t care. I suspect Drew doesn’t either. We can’t afford to do both and it’s about time we got to do something we really want to do.  It’s taken 13 years for us to start putting ourselves first.   Like my parents before me, it’s often us who does all the traipsing around to visit others. Not this year. Our firm message to the family will be – You know where we live. We have a spare room. Don’t ask or expect us to visit you. It’s your turn to jump through the hoops.

Just don’t plan any visits until Drew returns.  Or in July.  Or at Christmas/New Years.  We’re not available ’cause (finally) we’ve got plans!

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