Last weekend Filipe took me on an overnight getaway. I share about our “getaways” often and why we do it, so if you’ve read this blog for a while, then this isn’t new to you. We do this as a way to invest into our marriage and each other. And anytime a woman hears the phrases “romance package” and “strawberries & champagne”, we swoon.
This time we didn’t go far, just a few miles down the road to one of my favorite Bay Area spots, Palo Alto, CA. We spent Friday afternoon relaxing by the pool (with a book) and unwinding from life.
On Saturday morning we peddled our way to a breakfast cafe in downtown Palo Alto on bikes provided by our hotel (a free amenity we couldn’t pass up). Afterward, we continued on our way to Stanford University and biked throughout the campus. As we peddled past the museum Filipe noted how inspiring of a place it was. I quickly agreed and told him I was sure I could write a book there. I dream of attending classes there…maybe one day?!
Getting away from the regular routine of life for two days doesn’t always seem possible with three kids, nor a priority.
But we make it one.
Because we have extra money to spend? No, we have to budget for it.
Because we have extra time we don’t know what to do with? No, it requires planning ahead, arranging childcare.
We do it because we want our marriage to survive the long haul, and we want to enjoy it along the way. We don’t want to wait until our kids are grown and gone (& we have health issues). We see it as an investment into our relationship now so that when are kids are out of the house, we have a strong marriage and still enjoy one being together.
Filipe does a lot of marriage counseling and recently posed a question to a young couple who was focused on saving for their future. He asked, “Would you rather save for ten years and at the end of it have $100k in the bank and a struggling, distant marriage, or save $75k and have a thriving marriage?” (The financial investment is pretty minimal on a large scale.)
Investing into your marriage doesn’t happen by accident, it has to be prioritized. This is why we have a weekly date night and plan getaways every six months. It takes work to plan, but it’s a significant way we invest into our marriage regularly.