5 Reasons You Need a Summer Getaway Right Now!
Summer break! Not the ring it once had of course, but who doesn’t love summer!? Sure the days are long and hot (especially here in Florida!), the kids get bored and ready for school, tempers may flare up a bit easier. If your home life is anything like ours, summer can just be a flat-out weird season. Work might be a bit slower, as many look to take time off. Any semblance of routine is gone as kids are off-school and easily bored. The usual school year extracurricular activities might be postponed, and instead camps, VBS, play dates, and various other activities pack our calendars. This nearly always puts more pressure on us as parents, and demands flexibility. It’s challenging no doubt.
And yet, summer provides some reprieve to the usual routine. A getaway during summer can provide an even more incredible boost for everyone. Summer is practically made for a good vacation, no?
‘Summer vacations’ – the mere mention may conjure up images of Chevy Chase touting his family cross-county through a series of miserably dull activities and family reunions that no one else seems to appreciate. But, hear me out - a well-timed family vacation can be exactly the thing you need this summer. Not only do you and your kids get a benefit from the much-needed time away, but your marriage can see a huge spark in this too.
Here are 5 reasons your marriage needs a summer getaway:
1. A break from monotony
Monotony is a real killer. We’re big proponents of crushing monotony anywhere you can in your marriage. We talk about this a lot in A Little Book. I believe so strongly that when things become dull (especially in marriage) for extended periods of time, trouble can spawn (check out our date ideas to combat boredom!). Breaking out of boredom is so critical to keep the spark alive in your marriage. Getting out of town is a great way to force yourselves out of the boredom of summer. Even if you can only do a few days, it can provide such a pick me up to your marriage!
2. Time away from the daily distractions
Our devices! The laptops, Netflix, iPhones, newsfeeds, social media, office messengers, etc. etc. etc. These things aren’t inherently bad, BUT often, these things control us versus the other way around. We may find that we are slave to our schedules and our email. That we spend far too much time on our screens than we should. And while, yes, we should take aggressive countermeasures in our day-to-day lives to correct this…a vacation will force it. Time away, whether at the beach, the mountains, or traveling in a big city; our attention gravitates away from our devices and instead to relaxation, entertainment and the like. Vacation provides a great reprioritization of these things. And part of the benefit in this reprioritization is…yes, your partner!
3. Decompress and re-energize
Time with the family, but without the busyness. I work from home. I’m technically “with” my family all the time. But I’d be lying if I said I were mentally “present” with them any more than if I weren’t there. Our lives are busy, kids are busy, and work can be draining. Everyone can relate to this. Weeknights are a blur. Weekends are often not long enough. Everyone needs a break. Regardless of your work environment (and location), a break from your busyness as a family is energizing. And a break “around the house” doesn’t count, as this usually means chores, house tasks, or the sameness daily life. Vacation creates time to talk face-to-face without “fitting it in”. Meals together without the stress of what’s next on the calendar. Time to break from chores around the house. Trade the stress for time away, and come back recharged!
4. Forces time (& conversation) with your spouse
Family vacation may indeed be filled with lots of family time, yes. But, it will force conversation and connection between you and your spouse. Time driving (or flying), time over meals, on walks, sightseeing or sitting on the beach, vacations provide hours upon hours for the two of you to connect. Make good use of it. The time flies by and you’ll back on the grind soon enough. Using the time of vacation to pursue one another’s company and attention is life-giving for your marriage. It is NOT the same thing as time alone together in-town or around the house. Getting away is a reset and much needed quality time for your marriage!
5. Making memories!
Memories on vacations are invaluable. Many can relate to this, reflecting back on trips you took with the family as a child. Whether a road trip to the next state or flying across the country, or even a grand European cruise (I wish!) – whatever your family vacations looked like, I’m sure you have memories from them. Your kids will be no different. Breaking routine for a summer trip triggers fun and excitement and makes a significant mark in our minds. Vacations are healthy for many reasons as we’ve mentioned, but creating new memories is a huge blessing here. The places you travelled, how you got there, what you ate during, good laughs, fun activities, all these things leave lasting impressions in our minds well into adulthood. These forged memories with our spouse are equally as important. Memories aren’t just for the kids.
Note: if you did NOT take vacations as a kid (like my wife), you may be tempted to think they’re not important and chalk off the advice in this post. Don’t fall into this trap. You not taking vacations as a kid might be exactly why you SHOULD start the tradition yourself. You’ll very quickly find why there is benefit to this.
Summer is the perfect time to make a getaway with the family. Use the time off school, and lighter schedules to break out of your monotonous routine, free yourself from distractions, get extra time with your spouse and create new amazing memories. You’ll come back more recharged and feeling better connected to your spouse than before.
We encourage you to make the effort and create an annual vacation habit for your family. Please take this seriously, and you won’t regret it!