My Free Week

Last week I was kid-free, husband-free and car-free. For seven days. In my own house. It was such a strange break from reality. But a welcome one. The Volvo is on the fritz again and Nate had the other car all week. I could have had the Volvo fixed, but figured I could make it the week without it. I was right.

I kept myself busy - seeing friends, working, prepping my summer class, reading and running. On some level, I'm sure I remember the lazy days of not having kids. No wonder I could train for marathons and half-marathons and go backpacking and travel. No wonder I don't ever remember cleaning as much as I do now. Because it wasn't necessary.

Seven days is the longest I've been away from either kid. The thought of being away from them for so long was daunting at first. I even cried when we drove away from Nate's dad's house. But, Nate and I got to spend two kid-free nights together, which was a treat in and of itself.

This week was a nice reminder of the importance of balance in life. It's never good to focus too much energy on one thing because another thing will get forgotten. By the end of the week, I was more than ready to have my family back. But having time to myself was wonderful experience too.