CareerMomma Goes on Vacation

The Vacationing Business Momma
I haven’t had a vacation since my maternity leave, if you’d like to call that a vacation. When the proposition was made for me and my family to join 9 other families for a beautiful vacation on Cape Cod, naturally we enthusiastically accepted. When I thought of my impending trip on the 6 long months leading up to it, my mind would drift back to my childhood. My grandparents had a beach house on Cape Cod that we spent much of our summers at. The salt air, steamed lobster dinners, walks down the beach at night, the sea air mustiness about everything you could smell, and my favorite, hydrangeas. My grandmother had a gigantic hydrangea bush. With all those memories whirling around in great anticipation, I could almost feel the sun on my face during my long miserably cold New England winter. My trip to “The Cape” would be oceanside nirvana.
I seemed to fail to comprehend all that I’d need to pack and prepare, that is up until a week or so before our trip. Traveling for two was relatively easy in vacations past. This time, I had a toddler and all the necessary toddler things to take with us on the h 1.5 hours drive to our destination. Thank goodness our travel time was short because with the entire load of luggage, toys, travel crib, stroller and all kinds of other paraphernalia I was getting worried that my small family of 3 wasn’t going to fit into my modestly sized SUV. I never thought I’d have a use for that factory-installed roof rack until now.
When I told my friends that I would be vacationing with 9 other couples, most of them with at least 1 child, I would get a look of fright from my listeners as I chirped on about my trip. “Are you sure that this is a good idea?” or “Have you done this with them before?” were some common questions I got. I waved them off. No, this was going to be a marvelous vacation, despite any problem child or personality that may be vacationing with me. The personality and problem child I didn’t anticipate would be my gorgeous little sweet baby girl. What in the world happened to this child from the time we left the house until the minute we walked up the stairs to our living quarters is beyond me. My smiley, bright blue-eyed little darling developed a severe attitude problem over the course of the next 72 hours. Frequent whining, crying and a few all out nuclear meltdowns threatened the Zen-like morning coffees that I envisioned. The only thing that seemed to work for my precious Butter Cup was stroller walks through and around town. This is great for both of us actually. She gets to calm down and enjoy some scenery and I get my exercise in. I didn’t know that I could walk 10 miles a day and still be able to stand but I have proved that I can on this trip. I gladly spent 10 bucks on silly shark-faced bubble blower at a 5 and dime in order to keep her toddler tantrums at bay one morning. Money well spent to not hear shrieking from the stroller.
I also seemed to not comprehend that the world doesn’t have Wi-Fi in every corner. I came to this stark realization when I remembered it was Monday and I had articles due to my publishers and no way to send them. A little exploring revealed that the local library has Wi-Fi in this sleepy little village-by-the-sea. I promised that I would not check work email, and I haven’t. I can’t anyway so there is no fighting it. The office will have to carry on without me. I am sure that it will anyway, despite my long list of “make sures” for my support person and my colleague who is caring for me client base whilst I beach this week.

The nirvana vacation in seaside utopia is neither of those terms but it has been fun, challenging, exhausting, hysterical and chaotic with times of relaxation and quiet mixed in. All things considered, I still wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I am however, for once in a long time just a teeny bit looking forward to the office next week and of course, sporting my new tan.