GEM On The GO!
Good Enough Mother Goes Off The Grid

Adios! Sayonara! I bid you Adieu! And all that other good stuff. You guys already know I’ve been hopping all over the place, bringing you fantastic ideas for vacation rental homes by way of our new show, Sweet Retreats on the Live Well Network. While the pics and posts I make from the road make it look like a lot of fun (and it is), it’s also a lof of work. Now, hard work is not something I’m opposed to or unfamiliar with but even lil’ ol’ GEM needs a moment to stop and recharge her battery. The last shoot in Marfa really took it out of me and I returned to the loving arms of my family a hot, germy mess (but I did take this cool picture).

So I’m going on vacation. By.Myself. Yes you read that right.

It’s not that I haven’t had a vacation in a while; the family and I  had a wonderful opportunity at Disney World recently. But this one will be the first one in more than 20 years that I’ve done alone.

Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of my friend Kim Gregnon (you can read more about her on her blog, Mommycosm), I have a place to hang my hat for a week. In Aruba. Yeah, I know….

I’m looking forward to it for a couple of reasons. As I said I haven’t done a solo trip in more than two decades and though this is not technically solo, it will be without the family. Secondly, it’s time I practiced what I preach. So I’m talking a little bit of my own advice and carve out a little time for me.

While I love working on goodenoughmother.com and the partnerships and projects we have (which of course, includes Sweet Retreats), the pace with which this year started has left me a little breathless (Ella and I are already working on content for APRIL, if that’s any indication). So I’m going to take a minute for some “me time”, which, I’m convinced, will make me a better mother, not a bad one.

It will pretty much be business as usual around here though, as Ella will be behind the wheel, making sure things run smoothly. And when I get back, it will be time to hit the road again for a couple more exciting locations for Sweet Retreats.

Don’t forget, you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare as  2013 shapes up to be a record year for Frequent Flyer miles.

See y’all when I get back!

But first, I’m curious.. have you ever taken a trip by yourself? Was it before or after you had kids? Have you done it since? Why or why not?

More from GEM:

Where In The World Is Good Enough Mother? Sedona, Baby!

Where In The World Is Good Enough Mother? Florida, Baby!

Ask Rene: My Nose; My Nightmare!