My trip to Chicago

Since Johnny was born, I haven't been on a vacation. Yes, I've been here and there to visit family, but let's face it, since the kids are there, they were more like "business trips" than vacations. The longest I have been away from Johnny is about 30 hours when my in-laws took care of him for a weekend so John and I could prepare his "big boy" room. I have been away from Hank for 8 consecutive hours in his one year of life. And he stayed with John the whole time and it most certainly wasn't overnight. I have always been a phone call away from my boys should anything happen or if I just needed to see them.

Last weekend of my best girlfriends from high school got married... and I wasn't about to let any offspring keep me from being in Chicago for her wedding. I definitely agonized over how long I was going to be gone, since I wanted to go a little early to actually hang out with her but I wasn't crazy about leaving my kids for so long. In the end, John stepped up and said I should just go. He has been on many trips in the last few years and he insisted I should go on this one. So, I purchased an airline ticket that left San Diego at 6PM on Thursday and returned me home on Sunday at 10:30am.

That Thursday was such a long day. I was having horrible anxiety attacks whenever I thought about leaving my babies. I'm talking, nausea, stomach pains, the shakes - the works - new for me since I'm not usually anxious enough to feel physically ill. I kept thinking that if I really needed to, I could take Hank with me since he would be a lap child on the plane and didn't need a ticket... but that would effectively ruin any chance I had of enjoying every minute of my trip. Finally, it was time to go. I kissed Johnny goodbye (Hank was napping) and walked out the door for three days on my own with minimal tears.

It was a long time, but it went by ridiculously fast.

The best things about being on a vacation for me:
- I got to shower AND brush my teeth every. single. day.
- I didn't wake up in the middle of the night to a screaming toddler.
- I didn't have to prepare food for 13 hours straight.
- I could leave out whatever I wanted wherever I wanted. For instance, my iPhone? I left it on a low nightstand more than once. And guess what? It was there when I went to get it! Incredible.
- I got to sit for two uninterrupted hours while sipping a coffee, reading a book and people-watching with no one to worry about but me.
- I got to go to the bathroom BY MYSELF!!!

And I had a BLAST. I got to hang out with my girlfriend, whom I hadn't seen since I got married (!) and meet her friends and her fiance, as well as catch up with her family, whom I hadn't seen in a decade. The whole day and the wedding itself was so much fun since I got to spend the entire time with another good friend from high school. We navigated the public transit system of Chicago all by ourselves and then drank entirely too much wine at the reception.

All in all, it was a successful trip. I mean, my friend did end up getting married and that was the whole point, so I consider it a win. 

Congratulations, Mo!!! You were beautiful and your wedding was beautiful and your people were beautiful.

P.S. I did get some pretty great shots, but I don't want to publish them here for the world to see. This one is on facebook, so I figured it was safe. :)