Vacation Recap

Back in November, Phil and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary (Aug. 11) with our first kid-free vacation. It was actually our first real vacation, besides when we traveled to Boston for C+D's wedding. We were blessed to have both grandmas agree to watch the kids since we were going while they were in school, and off we went to beautiful St. Maarten.

We had an overnight layover in Philadelphia (which is funny in itself because in order to save money, we got a room with two queen beds instead of a king. So the vacation began with both of us sleeping in separate beds!). Bright and early the next morning we boarded the plane for the Caribbean. And let me tell you, the view from off the plane was amazing! We were actually the very last ones off the plane, and we disembarked on the actual runway. We walked down the stairs, and was it ever hot! It was about 3:30 pm when we arrived, and it was a stark contrast from the 20-degree temps when we left the States.


We found our bags and got in line for a taxi. We shared the ride with two other women, and the conversation was strained at times due the heavy accents. But we arrived at our resort about 4:30, went up to the room and gazed upon the beautiful ocean view.

We traveled to another island for one of the days--it's called Pinel Island--and it was beautiful. We also rented a car for a day and drove around the entire island, with a stop at one of the world's most beautiful beaches. We spent a majority of the day there, enjoying the weather and the waves. One of the highlights was a spur-of-the-moment dinner stop during the middle of the week. We had plans to go to this Italian place, only to arrive and find it closed. We walked down the street and came across this French restaurant, and when the hostess said she'd give us a free glass of champagne, I was sold! It was one of the most delicious meals both of us had ever eaten.


All in all, we had a fantastic time, and we spent every day in the water at some point. I was happy to get some sun and enjoy being "me" and not necessarily a "mom". It was a great way to reconnect and remember why we're together. We both agreed that the time we were gone was just the right amount. It was 6 days, 5 nights, and we both felt completely refreshed when we arrived back home.

There are a TON of pictures, and I didn't label them all, but here's a link to the photo album. I'll be happy to explain any of the pictures if you have questions. I already miss the scenery and wearing shorts. :)