Remember last week when I posted about this and told you that I wasn’t really into Valentine’s Day but if I was I would definitely make that happen? Well, I did it! The last year has been really crazy with our home renovation and me heading back to a full-time job so I decided it was high time Imy husband and I got some time to get away.
The logistics of orgainzing our children consumed most of my planning time.
In the 22 years (gulp) we have been together I have never done anything like this and it was no easy task. The logistics of orgainzing our children consumed most of my planning time so I had little scheduled once we actually arrived in NYC. Plus, trying to suprise someone you live with is more difficult than I thought. There was trickery and a few sneaky emails to his boss but in the end it all worked out and I arrived in front of his office at 3pm last Friday to whisk him away to a weekend for two in New York City.
Gansevoort Park Avenue knows how to do romance!
The Gansevoort Park Avenue’s “Get Loved” package set the stage for what would be a weekend of doing whatever the hell we wanted. Perched on the corner of 29th Street and Park Avenue, the hotel couldn’t be more centrally located so we could walk everywhere, and it was low season so we weren’t competing with crowds of tourists. We bought last minute tickets to the wonderful Once on Broadway, wandered into cafes and restaurants at our leisure and even went for a late night drink at the sky-high rooftop bar of Gansevoort Park Avenue, with spectacular views of the Empire State Building and the city. It was all too easy to call it an early night with our gorgeous room and “Get Loved” goodies waiting. We indulged in champagne and strawberries, and even had breakfast in bed – unheard of with kids! And the rooms are utterly glamorous – pops of fuchsia pink and deep blue, plush beds and floor to ceiling windows to soak in those stellar Park Avenue views. It was really a dream.
My new fave – Once on Broadway!
It is critical to one’s marriage to remind ourselves of who we are as a couple outside of the demands of everyday life.
So, why am I telling you all of this? It is not to make you jealous, I swear. It is to tell you what I learned from doing this. My husband and I have been together a very long time. Our lives are extremely busy and often stressful. We get snippy and rushed and frustrated. What this weekend made me realize is how important it is to have time together just the two of us. How critical it is to one’s marriage to remind ourselves of who we are as a couple outside of the demands of everyday life. Often we put our relationship with our spouse or partner lower down the list because we know we can get away with it. We are adults, we can cope as other things take precendence. The thing is, I can honestly say I had forgotten how much fun my husband and I have together just the two of us and this was a great reminder. It was so easy just to hang out and be a couple.
The Gansevoort Park Avenue rooftop pool is open year round.
As our kids get older it is incredibly reassuring to know that we are still good together. But it also highlighted to me how important it is to stay connected because soon we are going to be all we’ve got as our kids move into their own lives. So, I encourage all of you – even if it can’t be a romantic weekend away like we had – to book some time just the two of you. Not just date night and not at home but somewhere that you can focus on each other without the disctractions of life and home pulling at you. It will take some planning and saving but trust me, it is worth it. Your marriage will thank you!
That sounds incredible!! I feel the same way…my husband and I had our first kid-free getaway to Hawaii a couple years ago and it was amazing to just BE together without the stresses and remember why we like each other. 🙂 Good for you!!