I’m sitting here, wrapping up a pretty magical two night, three day “me” vacation. A few years ago, I would’ve been focused on the idea of three days of being “kid-free” and, man, I would’ve been giddy about that thought. But on Monday morning, as I was preparing to leave, I realized I wasn’t excited about leaving my family. In fact, I kinda hated leaving them. I played princess and castle with Eleanor, did school with the boys, cuddled with Margaret and realized these are the important things. It’s taken me a long time to get to this point, of embracing motherhood and finding true joy in it.

Now, that’s not to say I wasn’t looking forward to this little trip, but it was mainly because I wanted to be able to really dig into the Word and pray. I wanted time to figure out what my next steps are supposed to be, what my purpose is, what should be getting my attention and what shouldn’t be. I was looking forward to reconnecting with this idea of Sharlie, stripped from responsibility and distraction.

The idea of this trip bloomed from a conversation Benjamin and I had a few weeks ago, after he returned from a one-night men’s conference our church held. As we discussed what he learned and gained from the trip, he said something along the lines, “Yeah, it’s nice to just get away and connect with God and really pursue him.” I nodded. And then realized I’ve never had the chance to do that. I became a Christian when I was 31, knee deep in life with two young kids that needed all of my attention. Sure, I did daily devotions, but not a lot of really pursuing God with no distractions.

I voiced that thought out loud and Benjamin immediately said I needed to get away for a night or two before this baby was born. We had some travel points that would make my hotel stay almost free so we booked it and here I sit. Checkout is is three hours.

I only ventured twenty-five miles away to the town where I normally go shopping. Some of my favorite restaurants are here. I arrived Monday afternoon at the Bleckley Inn in Anderson, SC. The Bleckley Inn is in the heart of downtown and it actually has two buildings of rooms. There’s the main building and then, a block away, tucked between two restaurants on Main St is an elevator that I’d never really noticed before. I was nervous, a bit skittish, as I used my room card to gain access to the elevator that would take me up to my room. I worried someone would follow me up and attack me. Crazy, right? Since having kids, I think my mind has been reprogrammed to constant worry.

Friends, Anderson, SC is not a big ole city, with lots of traffics and tall buildings. There’s the main part of the city with your normal retail stores, but the downtown really is charming with lots of local restaurants and shops and antiques stores. It’s definitely my kind of place. It’s not a scary place. The reality is there wasn’t much need for me to worry about my safety getting on the elevator. And by Tuesday afternoon, I was feeling more relaxed. I was able to stop and really just admire the beauty around me. I felt a little more like college-Sharlie, the weight of worry leaving me a bit. I was still cautious, mind you, but I felt a little more free.

I settled into my room, still a little disbelieving that I had this time to myself. I put my things away and then ran out to Target to grab some snacks. I called in some pizza at Mellow Mushroom (which is just a quick walk away from where I was staying) and settled in for the night. I used that time to just decompress. I watched a George Washington documentary on the History channel. It wasn’t a very productive evening, but it was nice to just sit and veg out.

I naturally woke up between 5:30am on Tuesday morning. I didn’t want to waste a bit of this time. I started my day with a shower and sat down with my Bible. I journaled. I read books that poured into me and made me think. I did some writing and brainstorming for a book that has been on my heart. I went and ate lunch when I wanted to eat lunch, where I wanted to eat lunch (Summa Joe’s, in case you are a local). If you follow me on IG and watch my stories, you know I have no qualms about eating in public by myself! lol

I went antiquing and ran errands, and then grabbed some barbecue to eat in my room. I came back to my room and read some more. I took a bath that evening and watched more of that Washington documentary. I woke up at 6am this morning. I once again started my day off with a shower and then read my Bible and journaled, etc.

What have I learned about this time away? Well, my mind is fresh and ready to read, write, and journal in the mornings. By the end of the day, I just wanted to veg out a bit. I’m going to start getting up earlier so I can really take advantage of that time where my family/kids are asleep and my mind is at it’s peak.

I’ve enjoyed making decisions for myself and just going with the flow. I’ve thought a lot about what my purpose is as a wife, mother, and blogger/IGer. It’s been an amazing time, something I need to do more often…and something my husband probably needs to do too.

I’ve enjoyed this time away, but I’m looking forward to heading home today.