Before I had children, the thought of traveling alone for anything other than business was completely unappealing.  Who would I talk with? What about eating alone (that's just weird).  I imagined I would be terribly lonely, plus who would read the map for me so I knew where I was going? Well, now that I am the proud mother of two beautiful kids (and owner of a GPS), the thing that I look forward to the most is my solo getaways.  My life is intense. Having a child with Autism is exhausting.  That's not to say I don't love my son, but it is an acknowledgement that I have more stress than the average bear.

The first time I went on vacation by myself, it was because my doctor told me he feared I was about to have an emotional breakdown. I was exhausted, depressed and burnt out.  I needed to get uninterrupted sleep.  I needed to step away for a few days so that I could get some perspective.  I needed to take some time to focus on myself and to make myself a priority.  I challenge other mom's of children with special needs to do the same.

Here are my top 10 reasons for taking vacations by myself:

1. If you don't make the time for yourself, nobody will
2. Getting away allows you to regroup and have some space from the day to day craziness of your life
3. Your absence will help your family realize how much you do
4. It's really nice to go to the bathroom with the door closed
5. It's even better taking a bath without having someone bang on the door asking you when you will be done
6. Being able to drive without the never ending stream of questions or being in a rush to get somewhere is a nice feeling
7. Getting uninterrupted sleep will help you recharge your batteries
8. Doing what you want to do when you want to do it for as long as you want will make you feel like a rock star
9. Eating by yourself is very empowering (plus you can read your magazine without it being rude)
10. Once you do it you will be hooked and ready to go on your next trip

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