Sometimes we get so caught up in all the necessary trips that we forget how much fun just taking a quick day, or even afternoon, trip can be. Escaping the obligatory routines for just a few hours, whatever that might look like, can be so rewarding. It is more work getting in and out of the car now, but I find that it is well worth the extra time spent, especially when we visit places that hold personal memories.

The past couple of weeks have been stressful with a trip to the ER and then follow-up appointments to try and figure out what was wrong. I needed a break and was really missing weekend trips we used to take either to the mountains or the beach. I turned to my husband and said “we’re going somewhere today; I don’t care where.” and he suggested the waterfront. We are lucky to have a river that is a short drive from our house yet seems to be a world away from our daily lives. Once we got there, we took a walk and found a bench that overlooked the river. We watched people fishing, swimming, sunbathing and picnicking, all things that I used to do when I was younger. Pleasant memories were triggered. The water was soothing and there was just enough of a breeze blowing to keep things comfortable. We may have stayed only about 20 minutes, but I felt as refreshed as if we had spent the entire day. It was great.

I am finding that 2-3 hour trips can be as good as 2-3 day trips used to be. Getting out of the house to go anywhere takes me away from the duties of CarePartner and helps ease the isolation we both feel thanks to my husband’s diagnosis. And, did I mention that we stopped by an ice cream shop on our way home? A perfect conclusion to a perfect little break, I think we need to do this more often.