The Justification:
I find it imperative that I allocate “me time”in forms of isolation from my normal routine. Why? Because being a working mom is a huge responsibility, and sometimes it feels as if we are given the short end of the stick.
I recently visited the beautiful island of Puerto Rico and I had an absolute blast. I went with two girlfriends who were down with the cause and we made the most of every moment. We stayed in a cute Airbnb; took advantage of several planned excursions; dined at some of the island’s top spots and partied the night away.
Fun Times!
I’m going to share a few of my favorite moments and from Puerto Rico with you guys from food to adventure to where to go. The island is beautiful, however it hurt my heart to see that there were still areas without electricity from hurricane Maria. I had an Uber driver tell me that they were without electricity on the entire island for six months. They had to use generators, candles and flashlights to survive. Many parts of the Island we saw were breathtaking including the rainforest. During our visit to the rainforest we learned 70% of the canopy had disappeared due to the hurricane exposing vegetation and wildlife to sunrays they never experienced before. I asked when they anticipate the canopy to rejuvenate itself, and they said it will take nearly 50 years to return to its original state. Despite the damage in the rainforest, the beauty was more than memorable, and I swear if you did not know its history, you would have not known it was not operating at full capacity.
The food was amazing! I enjoyed tons of local traditions from Monfongo to a specialty drinks down to their own dessert! I
also visited the beautiful island of Calebra and got to see a flamenco beach which is rated one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world.
You guys, everything was truly awesome from the nightlife to the friendly people Puerto Rico is a destination everyone must experience.
It is also very convenient being that it is a US territory that accepted our money, they had Wi-Fi, Uber and any other first world perks or accommodations that you need.
I find that many moms may not have the support to allow them to take a break every now and then, and/or they subject themselves to the infamous mom guilt. I’m not able to take them often but I do make it a point to exercise the option at least once a year. The get-away doesn’t always have to be abroad, and it doesn’t have to last an entire week but just know it is necessary to me. Taking that much needed mental break must happen for me to be whole so I can give my best to my children, my marriage and my workplace.
Just Do It!
Take the break, book the trip, go to the spa, book the room in the same city that you live just to get away. I call it a recharge. A much-needed re-charge from the everyday chaos. Many times, women will internalize stress and let it take over their lives not realizing that they can control how it affects them. Dig deep and find out what exactly it is you’re missing and/or what exactly is it that’s keeping you from enjoying true happiness.
Sometimes our lives become so routine being mom that we forget the fun-loving person we were prior to having children. Now I’m not going to sit here and act like I did not miss my children and my man while away on momcation, but I will say that it gave me exactly what I needed in four short days out of 365. After re-charging, I was ready to come home to conquer the tasks that I had put off a week before due to exhaustion. Being a mom is a blessing and never ending job but I will say you still have to live your life and however that looks for you whether it’s traveling or escaping into a corner to read a book make sure that you take the time to do it because you have to be whole to give.
I had a great time and I’m already planning my next. It may not be tomorrow it may not be next month, but I know for sure that I will make momcation a priority. My family deserves to have a fully charged mom! Where have you been on momcation? I would love to hear all about it because I’m always looking for new ideas. Share with me on Instagram and Facebook @nlovewithjasmine.
