Reframe Your Thinking

We had to make a really hard decision last night.

We spent the last week preparing, packing, cleaning and solidifying details to land in Bermuda, today, March 1st. Everything was perfect and we were standing at the ticket counter 1.5 hours before our flight left. Long story short, after tons of phone calls earlier in the week to verify, we had received incorrect information that Olivia only needed her birth certificate to fly to Bermuda. She needed a passport. She couldn't get on the plane with us.

Heartbroken we scrambled for options. Postponing/changing the trip dates, emergency passport the next day etc but each option was oooober complicated and would cost us another $600-1000 to work everything out. The simplest option was presented: my mom offered to watch her while we went. (Bless her heart)

Such a hard QUICK decision had to be made.

After many tears, kisses and snuggles we gave her to sweet grandma and had to scurry quickly to our gate to not miss our flight.

10 days is a long time to be away from your baby.

~~~~~~~

MENTAL REFRAME:

We had prayed about the decision, and even through the heavy emotion there was a glimmer of peace, which we trusted, and made the decision to go without her.

As we hurried to our gate I knew a mental reframe needed to happen.

Unexpectedly a sense of adventure, peace and excitement came over me.

I would choose to see if as a gift.

It must mean that James and I needed a 'romantic getaway' before a lot of changes this summer with James starting grad school, moving out of state, me graduating, and us adding a new little baby boy to the mix. (Wow)

Did I want my little girl to be with us on this trip. Oh you betcha. That's why she was planned to join us.

But honestly I don't think I would have ever been able to get myself to plan a 10 day trip away from her without my heart just melting.

But interestingly enough I feel very blessed right now to have this time away with my husband to refresh our relationship/bond without our child.

I feel very blessed to be able to travel differently this time.

As I sit here I realize how much I needed a break. I needed to fill my own bucket... And one way is doing it with travel.

Travel that includes the freedom and flexibility to run with the wind, jump on an opportunity, explore any possibility. Travel that includes having amazing interesting conversations with random beautiful strangers for hours. Travel where I can actually sit in silence in my own space, whenever/however I want. Travel that includes a favorite travel partner, who's up for the same crazy adventure. (who just happens to now be my hubby.)

Travel like old times.

This type of travel is almost impossible with a toddler who lovingly needs your full attention. We've taken Olivia on all of our trips since she was born and have loved it. My goal is to always travel with our children.

I've been completely engulfed in being a momma. (Which being a wife/momma has been, and is, my favorite adventure/passion by far.) But that free adventurous side is a piece of me too.

In the future I guess we, alone, will need to get away for a short time.

So as much as I am going to miss my little girl, I'm liberated. I'm excited, grateful and feel insanely blessed for this opportunity to refuel, to give Diana what her soul truly needed.

I never would have guessed this is what I needed and it probably wouldn't have happened any other way. I thank God for his hand in any of it.

So my mental reframe has brought me peace. And I feel this moment, this circumstance, is a gift. And I'm going to try to keep that mindset the whole time we're away for I was determined to make this trip an exciting adventure, so it shall be.

Excited to spend quality time connecting with the hubby, enjoy the people and places we are visiting, and coming back full of life, refreshed, with vigor to continue forward.

And you better believe it I'll be EXTREMELY excited upon our return to squeeze and kiss our baby girl.

Love Dreamer Di

Challenge: Reframe a hard experience you are facing.

Words: Traveling Love Bugs

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P.s. ALWAYS lean on the side of 'safe than sorry' with legal travel documentation. Lesson learned.