Over the last week, I have been blessed to see how this four-letter word can transform someone’s life. It’s easy to get caught up in daily grind and forget that at the end of the day what carries us all through is the love we give, love we receive, and the friendships we make.

I was burnt out and exhausted. Each day blended into the next and it was hard for me to find time for myself. My family is my world and making sure everyone is taken care of has always been at the top of my to-do list. No matter how many times people tell you to take time for yourself, when you live a life like mine, with so many moving parts, finding that time just isn’t a priority.

I knew after the holidays, and with the anniversary of Dad’s passing approaching, that if I didn’t take time away I wouldn’t be my best self for my family. So, in the fall of last year, I reached out to my best friend in Las Vegas and said, “Can we please have a girls’ trip? I need some Krissy time?” Without hesitation, she began planning what proved to be the exact getaway I needed.

The only person who truly knows what our daily life consists of is Steve, and he immediately agreed that a trip with Krissy would give me the time I needed to recharge. Leaving was hard, not because I didn’t think he could run the house, but because being with my kids and taking care of our family every single day is my full-time job. Leaving was taking me out of my comfort zone. I must have told him fifty times leading up to my departure that I wasn’t going. Each time he told me I NEEDED to get away but saying goodbye to my babies was so hard.

The second I saw Krissy I knew I made the right choice. We had the best time together laughing and making memories. She knows me so well and calls me out on my bullshit. Our days were carefree and at night we would have heavy conversations and act like fools. We even got to visit a long-time friend who moved to Florida. I didn’t want to say goodbye. Suddenly the trip I was anxious about taking was one I wasn’t ready to leave.

Needless to say I made it home. My heart was full and my arms open wide, ready to hug my sweetheart and babies. I’m here to say, I know not everyone can, or feels comfortable, leaving behind their children and/or spouse. I am also here to say that if you can, and have the right person/people with you, it will be exactly what you need to rest and reset. No regrets. Find your people, don’t let them go, and make sure they know how much they mean to you.

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