TV shows and stories when I was a kid would sometimes feature kids who wanted to run away… but listen… us mamas want to run away sometimes too… probably even more than the kids! Can I get an amen?! 

I love my husband and children dearly - and for some reason, when getting into “real talk” about our feelings, us mamas always feel the need to preface our statements with the “I love my kids” statement. That, in and of itself, is a showing of the emotional and mental burden mamas carry around. As I was saying… I love my husband and children dearly, but being around them almost every single day at the magnitude that we’ve been around each other for the past 2 years has been a lot - from working from home while they were simultaneously schooling from home, to trying to make sure they’re taking their vitamins and being even more vigilant than my usual germaphobic self in the fight against germs, especially now that they’ve been attending school in-person, to managing health challenges in our household - it’s been a lot for them and for me. Can you relate?

As a family who loves to travel together, we are quite accustomed to being together a whole lot, and we genuinely love it the way we planned and did it before, but the pressures of the past year combine to create a desire to just get away. For that reason, we wasted no time this year with making family trips happen, by the grace of God! Thus far, we’ve traveled quite a bit as a family in 2021, and if you’ve been following our blog and vlogs/social media, you’ve seen these:

• TWA Hotel - We stayed here multiple times. We’ve visited here to take family photos, and on two separate occasions for a baestaycation.

• Cartoon Network Hotel/Dutch Wonderland/Hershey Park - Family road-trip/vacation.

• LEGOLAND New York - Family road-trip/we enjoyed staying here on opening weekend and enjoyed two days at the new LEGOLAND New York hotel and park.

• Anaheim, California - We enjoyed a magical Disneyland 2021 family vacation!

• AC Bridgewater Hotel - Allan and I recently enjoyed a sweet baestaycation at this fairly new hotel and its rooftop bar/lounge in neighboring New Jersey.

I’ve regularly stated that I recommend at least 3 types of trips each year: a family vacation, a couple’s getaway (or if you’re single, then a friends getaway), and a solo trip! If you look at the list of what we’ve done this year, it’s evident which one is missing: a solo trip I’d like to call a MOMCATION! As much as I’ve recommended it, I am the first to admit that I haven’t taken a solo trip since 2018… no bueno! The height of the p a n d e m i c was in 2020 and I had open-heart surgery, so I/we didn’t travel much… and in 2019, we poured a lot of time, energy, and resources into a fantastic 10th anniversary Disney World and Disney Cruise family celebration, so while we traveled as a family, I didn’t travel solo then either. A solo momcation is overdue AND in the works! So, as I am planning to enjoy a momcation before the year is out, and will share further details on that closer to that time, I write this today to encourage you, mama, if you’re feeling that desire for some alone time to enjoy your own company, hear your own thoughts, and find yourself again… plan that momcation!

As I sit here writing this, I’m hearing my 6-year-old son screaming at the top of his lungs from another room for something that is no actual emergency, by the way. So, yeah… let’s make this momcation happen! 

3 Momcation Ideas: 

THE BOLDEST OPTION: Fly Solo To Anywhere In The World - Adventurous moms and/or moms of older children may opt to book that flight, pack those bags, and head to the airport to enjoy a fun solo vacation to some place else on the planet! It may be a country or city that you’ve always wanted to visit… it may be somewhere you learned of recently… it may be the least expensive option available for the timeframe you’re looking at traveling… or some other option. In any case, if this option sounds like something you’d consider, be sure to check travel advisories when selecting your momcation destination - for us in the U.S.A., those advisories can be found on the U.S. Department of State’s website - and get started with your planning! Then, sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight and your momcation!

THE EASIEST OPTION: Book A Local Hotel Stay For Yourself - Moms who want to be near home during their momcation and/or moms of young children/babies may opt to book a local hotel in their city, so that while they won’t actually be at their house, they will feel comfortable enough to be away and let go of the things going on at home because they’ll know that they can get home quickly should the need arise. That said, while at that local hotel, mama, go ahead and eat a fancy dinner, enjoy cocktails, throw in a movie or a spa treatment, or both, sink into the amazingly comfy hotel bed, and enjoy your momstaycation!

THIS CRUISER’S FAVORITE OPTION: Book A Solo Cruise - If you know me, you know I have enjoyed all my cruises, regardless of cruise line, yet all my cruises thus far have been with at least one other person sailing with me. I’ve cruised Disney, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Norwegian, and even the now out-of-service Pullmantur. Yes, I have favorites, but I generally encourage folks to try whatever line fits their budget and needs/wants in a vacation - and that may be different lines for different sorts of occasions. What line would I most likely choose for a solo momcation cruise? Honestly, any of the cruise lines mentioned above can provide a great solo getaway; however, since we are talking momcation here, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) comes to mind for the following reasons:

• Its freestyle cruising model where you can move at your own pace including dining whenever and wherever you want, unlike most other lines that assign guests to a dining time and to specific restaurants.

• Its free-at-sea options that may include a dynamic beverage package and a dining package for some of the most exquisite drinking and dining options at sea.

• Its thermal suite in the spa (onboard some though not all NCL ships) calls to the mom needing time to herself… whether you’re booked in a spa stateroom that automatically includes access to the spa’s thermal suite, or in a traditional stateroom from which you can purchase a pass to the spa’s thermal suite.

In my opinion, NCL offers mamas a great option for a relaxing and/or fun-filled momcation. What cruise line to select for your momcation depends on what YOU want to experience on your cruise.

How Long Will It Be?

With all the momcation options outlined above, the length of your stay is up to you - depending on the option you select, you may opt to stay for one night or a weekend if staying at a local hotel, and you’ll more than likely want to stay longer for a cruise or flight elsewhere - maybe 5 days to a week, or whatever works for you! This is the great part… you choose what you want!

What Will I Pack?

Pack the things that will help make your momcation relaxing. For me, that includes headphones, my Bible, my journal, and a good book. I’m also planning to have a few dressy outfits for when I want to dress up for dinner and things. Mama, this will be your time away, so do with it what you please. Enjoy it and relax, so that you can return home refreshed and ready to take on those daily tasks again. 

Why A Momcation?

On a solo momcation, we don’t need to respond to anyone’s questions about what our itinerary is, where we’re eating, what excursions we’re doing, or really anything. We don’t have to consult with anyone else on what to do and when to do it. That’s huge! Enjoy it!

Comment below and let me know which of the 3 momcation options you think you’re most likely to do or throw in an additional option if you have one.