No Kids, No Crumbs, No Problem: Our First Getaway
A few weeks after we returned from Idaho, Sarah and I packed up my F-150 and headed south for a quick weekend trip to what I believe we both consider to be our home away from home—Port Aransas. If you’ve visited my website, follow me on Instagram, or even remotely pay attention, you’ll know this wasn’t our first trip down to Port A. However, despite the number of times that we have made this particular trek, this trip felt different, as it was different. For the first time since either of the kids were born, it was just the two of us. No kids, no crumbs, no chaos—just us, on the road to a place we’d always shared without two little animals.
As we made it outside of San Antonio and cruised down IH-37, the excitement still hadn’t set in. Sarah and I made small talk between the random EMO playlist of My Chemical Romance, Fallout Boy, and some other early 2000s bands while trying to come up with some semblance of a plan for the next few days. Our itinerary, which probably doesn’t come across as much of a surprise, consisted mainly of sleeping, attempting to relax, and plenty of long walks on the beach. (No Piná Coladas or getting caught in the rain though.) As more time passed though, I started to feel really off. It was strange—borderline unsettling, if I’m being honest—not having the kids in the backseat for this journey. Usually, no matter where we go, they’re with us. Always by choice. We want them to see everything, to experience every trip, and to be part of every moment. What’s the point of having kids, in my humble opinion, if they are not including as much as possible?
We continued down the road, the music slowly fading into the background as the steady thunk of migrating butterflies hitting the windshield took over. I found myself glancing in the rearview mirror, half-expecting to see the kids’ faces. It’s instinctual, you know? The way a parent double-checks to make sure they’re safe, or looks back when it’s been quiet for too long, just to see if they’ve fallen asleep—or if they’re up to no good. But the backseat was empty. Even though this trip was something Sarah and I needed, I couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt, and that something—or rather, someone—was missing.
As the miles racked up and we neared our destination, I finally started to settle down, thank goodness. The kids were with their grandparents, and I knew they’d have a blast. There was no reason Sarah and I couldn’t have fun too—it would just take a little time (and maybe an adult beverage or two) for me to fully embrace the idea of a kid-free trip. We pulled into Cinnamon Shore a little before 5 PM, picked up some pizza from Dylan’s, and began to settle in. Yes, I did enjoy an adult beverage, and yes, it helped put my mind in a much better place. But what really helped was the pizza, multiple games of Scrabble, and an evening walk along the beach with Sarah. It was during that outing, feeling the cool breeze, hearing the waves, and just taking a breath, that I finally let go of the lingering guilt. For the first time in a long time, it was just about us.
Main Squeeze IPA from Gather Brewing Co. | A view of the sunset from our balcony. | Images from our evening walk through Cinnamon Shore and along the beach.
The rest of our mini-vacation was quiet, minus a few goofy FaceTime calls with the kids, which was exactly what we needed. Sarah and I both work a lot, and we rarely take time not just for ourselves, but for us as a couple. As hard as it was to leave the kids at home, this weekend gave us the chance to decompress and reconnect. We left the condo once, I think, for a trip into Corpus to eat and have a drink at Nueces Brewing Company—no surprises there, it was fantastic as always. But outside of that, we spent most of our time walking up and down the beach, wandering around the community, playing games, and just taking it easy. We could have done more, planned more activities, but at the end of the day, the best plan was to not have any plans. When there’s no agenda, there’s no disappointment about missing out.
Images from our walk through Cinnamon Shore, as well as along the beach the following morning.
Nueces Brewing Co. visit. | Images from out evening walk along the beach. | Images from our morning walk along the beach prior to leaving.
Sunday morning rolled around, we enjoyed some coffee, another walk on the beach, and then loaded up the truck. This time, we were heading north, and back to the house. The trip was by all means a good one, but it certainly was nice to be back at home with the kids. In just a few short weeks, we’d be right back in Port A for Thanksgiving, and for a much longer trip with the kids tagging along.
Sometimes, you just need to pause the chaos and focus on reconnecting. This trip, albeit short, was a great reminder of that.
Until next time!
Enjoy, y’all!
-Tyler
