After 13 years of motherhood, I took my first girls' trip. I'm so glad I didn't talk myself out of it.
A mother shares her personal experience of taking her first solo vacation in 13 years. She discusses the internal struggle of balancing parenting responsibilities with the need for personal time and self-care.
Why it matters
It highlights the common cultural tension between parental guilt and the necessity of personal well-being for long-term mental health.
The author (left) joined her friend on a trip to St. Croix this past summer. Courtesy of Isobella Jade. It would have been easy to say no when my friend invited me to join her on a trip to St. Croix. It was just before the start of the school year, and I had a ton of things on my to-do list. For the first time in 13 years, I went on a trip without my kids. It was just what I needed. This summer, my best friend said she was planning to celebrate her mom's birthday by taking a trip to St. Croix . She asked if I wanted to join them, but I paused. At first, I was unsure. A tropical trip just for us girls did sound great, but it would mean returning a week before school started for my two kids.
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