A Little Vacation Planning is Just What This Mama Needs! + Vacation Sweepstakes!

I cannot even express how badly I want need to take a vacation.  I may or may not occasionally fantasize about throwing all my mom duties to the wind, skipping town, and sending myself on some exotic vacation.  Alas, I’m much too dutiful to ever take that impromptu a vacation.

So, I’ve been keeping a lookout for places I’d like to go, the kind of vacation I want to take, travel deals and the like.  Vacation planning is just my way of coping with the fact that I’ve been a single mom to 3 little kids for 4 of the past 12 months.  Did you know that the simple act of vacation planning boosts happiness?  Like a runner who runs for endorphins, this mama vacation plans for her happiness.  Alright! 🙂

Being a military wife or the stay-at-home wife of a man who travels a lot is no joke, particularly when your children are young. During the days, weeks, and months my husband was gone,  I devoted about 90% of my waking hours to taking care of my children’s needs and housekeeping duties.  The other 10% of the time I was usually so physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted that the best I could muster was to crawl under my bed covers and watch a couple episodes of “19 Kids and Counting”. –You know that woman is amazing! She gave me hope that if she could raise 19 happy, healthy kids in a loving home then certainly I could deal with my 3.

This baby went through a 4 molar teething and a bout of Roseola while Daddy was gone. 🙁

Heck, dealing with children and chaos isn’t a new thing for me.  I, myself, am the second child in a family of 12 children, but dealing with kids as a big sister is different than dealing with kids as a mom.–

And so I plugged along like The Little Engine That Could.  And, I survived.  And my children are happy, healthy, and enjoy a slightly more structured home than before my husband left.  And now, I – need – a – vacation.

So I started planning one.  Who knows when it will happen.  Because we have to work around time off for The Husband, I’m shooting for some time in the fall.

Whenever you decide to its time for a nice vacay, here are a few things vacation guru, RCI, says to ask yourself before you start the planning process:

• Decide what type of trip works for you – do you need a spa or beach vacation? Or an adventure camping trip? Or maybe a golf getaway? Would an all-inclusive make your trip stress-free?
• Choose who you want to go with – Family? Friends? A couples getaway?
• Find a destination that you will love – Hilton Head? Orlando? Hawaii?

Personally, I want to relax with my husband and just my husband.  I’d love to go to Europe, but he wants Hawai’i.  I think I can compromise, as long as he hikes the Na Pali Coast with me.

Beautiful!

RCI Helps You with Your Vacation Planning & Gives You the Chance to WIN!

RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange, knows I’m not the only person who could use a vacation.  That is why they’re giving away a total of 40 vacations in celebration of their 40th anniversary!  Through RCI’s “Win Your Dream Vacation Sweepstakes”, you have the chance to win a dream vacation worth up to $25,000!

(I can’t imagine spending $25,000 on a vacation, but I’d love the chance to try! LOL)

Visit RCI.com/sweeps to enter to win until June 18 – and the more you share your dream vacation through social media, the higher your chances of winning!!

So let’s hear it, where would YOU go on your dream vacation?

Good luck with your vacation planning. Who knows, maybe we’ll see each other on vacation!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.