Anniversary Trip Nerves

We have been planning a big 10th anniversary trip for years. A decade is an achievement and we wanted to celebrate.  It was fate that it coincided with our year in Australia and there were lots of options of beautiful destinations to choose from.

I had been searching for months for the perfect place and found a Groupon (I love groupons) for this private island resort called Nukubati.  It was expensive for us at the 50% discounted rate but everything about it sounded perfect and we decided that was our place.  Cassie, our new favourite friend discovered by marriage (Good on ya Brent) happens to be a travel agent and booked our flights which required a trip to the international airport in Fiji, then on to the north Island where the Nukubati staff would pick us up, drive an hour by 4x4 and then a motorboat to the island.  This was an ambitious first trip away from the kids.  Good thing their grandparents had so graciously offered to babysit.

I was nervous about leaving the kids.  Not because we were leaving them with Keith’s parents because I knew that they would have a wonderful time with them.  Not because I thought they would miss us because I knew they wouldn’t.  The kids love spending time with other people, whenever they have a babysitter they pretty much push us out the door.  The day we left I asked the kids again where we were going and they were so used to the question they didn’t even look up from their cereal “Fiji” they said instinctively between mouthfuls. “And we’re staying with Granny and Grandad.  And we’ll be good”.  No seperation anxiety at all.  I think, on further reflection, I was nervous for some pretty ridiculous reasons.  I was nervous that people would think that I was a bad mother for leaving my kids for a week.  I was nervous that it was too extravagant to take a week-long holiday for an anniversary.  I was nervous that I hadn’t spent a week away with just Keith and would it be weird to be alone without the kids for that long.  All those nervous thoughts evaporated after we checked through security at Melbourne airport.