Vacationing Without The Kids

Last time we spoke, we talked about vacationing with our kids. Although I have always enjoyed the basic family vacation, in retrospect, it is always a lot harder on your wife. They usually deal with the children all day long, and being on a vacation when you still take care of them doesn’t seem fair, does it?
As you get to a certain age, besides getting a discount at the movies, you have now paid your dues and get to vacation without the kids. I know that sounds blasphemous to some of you, but trust me, it’s not. Let’s call it a perk, shall we?
You have endured countless hours dragging them from place to place, always returning to your 15×20 hotel room more exhausted than you thought possible, only to experience the movie Groundhog Day for the next five days. There is hope, my friends.
A vacation without kids is even better than the awkwardness of your honeymoon. Now you actually know each other. You know exactly what your partner likes and dislikes. You don’t have to do anything to try to impress them, or live up to some ridiculous “dream” honeymoon you saw on TV.
Feel like going to a theme park and experiencing all you missed because little Johnny was hot, tired and hungry? Skipped reading all the interesting things on the wall when visiting NASA in Coco Beach because tiny Pamela was being fussy? How about dragging half of the kids’ worldly possessions across that pristine beach in the Bahamas, only to settle down and find out you forgot tiny Tim’s inhaler on the dresser? Yikes.
My wife and I have been on numerous vacations without our now adult children in the last few years, and I can honestly say, “my goodness–what took us so long?” Your main responsibility now is choosing what to have for breakfast and dinner.
Want to go to the pool? Grab your suit and go–no fuss, no muss. Will the rain in the forecast keep you indoors? As adults you can, ahem, improvise. Want to have an adult beverage or two at the end of the day? Be my guest.
We just got back from a delightful week in Orlando, staying on the Portofino Bay property of Universal Studios. We went to the theme parks when (and if) we wanted, came back to the hotel every afternoon to spend the hot part of the day at the pool and thoroughly enjoyed dinner and drinks each evening, spending time in different places and enjoying the live music we found almost everywhere.
When vacationing without children, you tend to notice that all the other people vacationing without children are smiling most of the time. A simple nod or wink at strangers enjoying a drink at the bar, unencumbered with toddlers, confirms your kinship. Although we were free of our parental responsibilities, we did feel slight pangs of empathy for some of the other travelers.
Here we were, fresh as daisies, vibrant and alive, ready to boogie and enjoy the rest of our evening. There they were, those poor souls, dragging young children back to the hotel properties at the end of the day, with soulless eyes staring blankly out into nothing as they sat on the transportation systems, hoping beyond hope that little Bobby would cooperate and be quiet until they could get back to the hotel and change that diaper. All the time, knowing they would have to do it all over again the next day.
Waiter, I’ll have another Blue Hawaiian and my wife will have another Hurricane.