I like to joke with my husband about a quarterly trip being part of our marriage contract. While we laugh about it, he and I both know that I am DEAD SERIOUS. I work hard to maintain this standard, not because I like to eat great food, experience life-changing culture, and explore everywhere this beautiful world has to offer, I do, but it is so much more than that.
Life is crazy, maintaining our work, and keeping a somewhat clean home, while throwing kids into the mix is a whole new ball game. With everything we have going on, I still find it incredibly valuable to take the time to appreciate my husband. What better way to do this than an annual Baecation?
Here are 5 reasons why an annual Baecation is non-negotiable for us and why you should prioritize it too.
1. Spending Quality Time Together
We have two amazing baby girls that we strive to give our all every day. At the end of a hectic day, I’ll be honest and say, I don’t have much in the tank left for my husband. I want to read a book, take a shower, and hit the sheets just like most people. We use our Baecations to catch up, laugh, share stories, and reflect on the beautiful life we have created together. There are no kids, no work, no friends, and no family to distract us from giving each other the attention we need. This is an important bonding time that we look forward to every year.
2. New Experiences Together
We pick a new place to Baecation every year. My husband and I are both adventurers at heart and love to use this annual trip as a way to try something new together. Whether we are kayaking endless ocean waters in Turks and Caicos, Zipling through the rain forest of Costa Rica, or battling a stumbling upon a ping pong show in Phuket (IYKYK) these experiences are creating new memories that we will always cherish, laugh about, and think back on in the future.
3. Strengthens Your Friendship
Baecations are not only romantic, but they strengthen your friendship. When my husband and I first started dating 12 years ago, we were great friends. We shared everything, our hopes dreams, goals, what we had for lunch that day. We were straight-up joined at the hip in typical bestie fashion. On Baecation we get to go back to those special times and pick up like we never left. We even sometimes coordinate our outfits for dinner. Studies show that couples treating each other like best friends is one of the highest predictors of a lasting marriage, so grab your bestie and head on a trip!
4. You Can Both Relax, Recharge, and Be Carefree Again
In our home life, at least one of us has to be on, and most of the time, it’s both of us. We often find ourselves dividing and conquering spreading our time between our two kids, housework, and trust me with two young ones, there is never a dull moment. When you are constantly go, go, go you don’t always get the opportunity to relax and recharge before taking on the next day’s task. Recharging your battery is crucial, but not always possible for both of us. We use our Baecation as an opportunity to fill our cups with couples massages, a good night’s sleep, and lots of cuddle time. After these trips, we both come back feeling fresh and ready to take on the world, or our household!
5. Something To Look Forward To When Your Birds Leave the Nest
Luckily we are a ways away from this, but there will come a time when our kiddos will leave home and we won’t know what to do with ourselves and all this free time. You will be left with your marriage in whatever condition that may be. While navigating an empty nest can be difficult, having your marital friendship and the experiences that you’ve built will make this time a lot more bearable. You don’t want to find out you were only sticking together to raise your kids, and there is nothing left in your marriage once they are gone. Sadly, this is a common reality for many couples. Baecation gives you a reason to be excited in your marriage, knowing there are so many new amazing adventures to come!
Now that you know some reasons why Baecation is important, you may be left wondering, how you can afford your annual getaway. I have a helpful post on Travel Hacking and exactly how we were able to afford our most recent Baecation to beautiful Aruba. Do yourself and your marriage a favor and start prioritizing Annual Baecation now!