Taking A Momcation: The Anticipation, The Escape, and Reentry Back Into Mom Life

Send us Fan MailOn this solo episode, Steph is talking about the "3 stages of the momcation": anticipation/preparation; the actual trip; the dreaded reentry. Anticipation: the week or two before the trip when you lose your mind because you need a break SO badly and are SO close and start imagining all the things that could go wrong to ruin your vacation. The actual escape: Sweet relief! The exhale. This is the part when you realize you have zero responsibilities and you can enjoy absolute freedom and just BE. The reentry: This could potentially be a time when you integrate all the peace and rejuvenation back into your daily routine, but let's be honest. It's usually a depressing shitshow. What would happen if we got away without our kids—either alone, with a partner, or with friends or siblings—more often? Would we have the same kind of desperate need to escape? Would it make anticipation and reentry less brutal?Our hectic and overwhelming lives make the contrast between getaways and reality painfully noticeable. Steph asserts that we definitely need vacations to escape reality from time to time, but that it would help if we built in more gentleness, relaxation, and yes, even decadence, into our daily lives to minimize the whiplash effect of reality vs vacation. In this solo episode, Steph is talking about momcations again—one of our favorite topics on this show. Our guests Laura and Lucy both took completely solo trips without their kids, but many moms travel with girlfriends, siblings, or their partners. Steph was able to skip town with her husband for their annual kid-free mountain weekend, and she noticed some things about the before, during, and after. If you've ever lost your damn mind worrying that the vacation you desperately needed was going to be ruined, or had a nervous breakdown upon the dreaded re-entry, this is the episode for you. WHERE TO FIND US NOWConnect with Stacey🎧 The Next Phase Podcast —  on Apple & Spotify 📸 Instagram: @stacehutsonConnect with Steph🎧 The Peri-Normal Podcaston Apple and Spotify✍️ The Reclamation Eraon Substack📝 MidCircle— a writing community for midlife women📸 Instagram: @stephsprenger