California or Bust

I'm going on a vacation! It's my tenth anniversary next week and to celebrate, we're going on a vacation! Alone! Without the kids! I can't stop using exclamation marks!!!

When my husband mentioned the possibility of me accompanying him to a business conference, he said, "Now, I'll be in meetings all day and you'll be by yourself until I can get away. Is that going to be okay?"

"Hmmm, let me see," I said. "I'll be in a lovely hotel, where I can sleep late, take a shower with no one crying, watch TV, read a lot, write for longer than five minutes, order room service, swim, and possibly even shop? Yeah, I think I can handle it."

Reasons I'm excited about this vacation:

• After 10 years of hard work, we deserve to get more "alone time" than a (very occasional) overnight. I'm looking forward to feeling like a couple again. Yes, I know we'll miss the kiddos, but they'll be fine being spoiled by my parents.
• We don't have to drive. I know airports are a pain, yadda yadda yadda, but I like to fly because you get there quicker.
• We're going to Santa Clara, near San Francisco, and I haven't been there for closer to 20 years. This ought to be fun. I'll report back. Also, nice weather--gotta love it.
• Perhaps best of all, since it's a business trip, the company pays. For years I've been mildly envious when friends got to take their spouses along on trips for work, and now it's finally happening for us. Yay! (It also means I won't spend the entire time worrying about every dollar.) Too bad I can't think of any reason the owner of a cabinet company needs to go to Europe (research in Versailles?)

Thanks in advance to my sweet husband, who thought of this and whom I would marry all over again if I were given the choice.