Has anybody else had to cancel, quite literally, all of the vacations that they had planned for 2020? This was going to be our year to travel. We had a sisters’ trip to Tennessee planned, a Colorado getaway, a wedding in California…. All of them wiped out. And it was ultimately our decision to do so. We didn’t feel like it was safe to go on any of these trips with a toddler who likes to lick shoes for fun. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a huge bummer to cancel them and have everything you were looking forward to doing go away.
Perhaps that’s why this trip that we went on to Broken Bow, OK felt so dang good. After 6+ months of quarantining, following rules, physically distancing, avoiding normal-life things, it felt really effing good to go sit in the woods, in a new place, with a new set of walls.
When I think about all that has happened since COVID-19 hit it makes me catch my breath. I found out I was pregnant with a surprise baby. I had a miscarriage. Addison turned one- we had to cancel her birthday party. Addison learned to walk. Addison started talking. Our dog ran away (and came back). We lost multiple family members. I got a new job. We found out we were having a baby. We were nervous we were going to lose her too.
And these are just the big things that come to mind. Not to mention the whole lot of every-day life sprinkled in to keep it interesting.
So, did a getaway feel good? My god, it sure did. It felt so good that I’m already dreaming of another one.
I hate that I even have to say this, but I’m going to because I feel like I should. Brittany and I talk extensively about what our day-to-day lives have looked like since COVID-19. Even more so now that I’m pregnant and moved into the “high risk” category. We checked in often before our trip, disclosed everything with each other, and made sure we were all healthy BEFORE even packing a single sock.
We were supposed to go to the coast but in typical 2020 fashion, a hurricane ended up heading straight toward Corpus Christi. Our trip would have fallen from a Sunday-Thursday. And wouldn’t you know? The weather forecast put the hurricane there Monday with rain all the way until Thursday. We only had a short period of time to cancel our trip and get our money back, so we pulled the plug 48 hours ahead.
We were collectively SO disappointed. We had found someplace that was within driving distance to keep us out of staying in too many places and it got us to the beach. So of course, a hurricane would come through and flip it all upside down.
The night we cancelled, we all immediately started looking for other options. No one wanted to accept that we weren’t going to be able to get away.
We found a darling little cabin in Broken Bow, OK and that night, we booked it.
Michael and I packed up and left the house to head north a little over 12-hours after we booked the house. It as a whirlwind. But it was a whirlwind that we all needed and didn’t realize how much we did until we got there.
We spent the whole trip with zero agenda. You know, like a real vacation. We brought all of our food with us so that we didn’t have to go to a grocery store (perk of having it be within driving distance), we didn’t make a single plan to do any kind of outing or touristy thing the whole time. The goal of the trip: to relax and recharge.
And we did just that. The house was tucked in the trees and felt secluded from everything. There was a moment driving down the gravel road we had to take to get there where I thought, “my god, this could be it, this could be the end of me. I’m the blonde one in the horror movie that goes first.” Happy to report, and you can probably safely assume since I’m writing this, that didn’t happen. But the thought did cross my mind…
It had its own little playset (that Brittany and I for sure wiped down and sanitized), an outdoor fire pit and a hot tub. We didn’t have to leave for any reason. We just hung out, soaked up the time together and let the days unfold.
And isn’t that what a vacation is supposed to be? It was magical. I don’t know if it felt this good because we’ve been “locked up” for so long, or if it was because it really was that great of a trip. But regardless, the truth remains, it was just what we all needed.
So, if you’ve been considering a little getaway, I encourage you to find something similar. Close to home, but not home, and clean (check on what their cleaning standards are before booking). It was the perfect retreat and I’m so happy that we went despite the hiccups we had along the way.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from our getaway for your viewing pleasure.