It's Good to Get Away

I spent the weekend in Chicago with 17 girl friends and 2 babies. We've been friends for over 8 years since we met (thanks to this woman) online while planning our weddings. Many of us have met in real life, but this was the first large gathering of our group. None of us could figure out why it took us 8 years to have a get together. We stayed in three condos right on Lake Michigan and spent the weekend hanging out, talking, laughing, eating, drinking, taking photos, missing the friends who couldn't be there, throwing a blessingway for our two pregnant friends, nursing babies, pumping breastmilk, reading trashy magazines with a little walking thrown in just so we wouldn't feel like complete sloths. Not much sleeping happened and we were amazed no one peed in their pants with the high level of laughing, as just about all of us have one or more children.

The get together came at the right time for me. I so needed to get away from my life. I was able to relax, and read, and not worry about taking care of anyone but myself. I flew home on Sunday with my patience replenished and on a happy high from the wonderful weekend. I was ready to be with my family and return to being a mom. This was the first night I'd spent away from my family since August 2007, and even on that trip I wasn't entirely alone since I was pregnant with Agnes. It's hard for me to leave my children when they are babies, and it's not something I can really think about until their second year.

The weekend was a good reminder for me that I need me time. I usually get Saturday mornings to myself, but I think every once in a while I need more than a few hours a week to reset my buttons. Since another get together isn't going to happen for 18 months, I'm going to need to come up with some other ideas for escaping. What do you do?