Planning our five year anniversary trip and a vacation sweepstakes

My husband and I will celebrate five years of wedded bliss in October. We’ve talked about going back to Maui, Hawaii, where we had our honeymoon, to celebrate our fifth anniversary. It’s looking pretty unlikely at this point since we’ll have a 4-month-old baby, but we would still like to go back soon.

Maybe it was our newlywed state of mind or maybe it was Maui, but Hawaii holds a very special place in our hearts. We’ve traveled to many beaches throughout the world and nothing has compared to our experience in Maui. It was 12 days of pure bliss after our whirlwind wedding weekend!

We always assumed we’d be back much sooner. We thought we knew that we would easily be able to travel even after having children. Boy were we wrong! Not only do you have to find someone to stay with your children, but you sometimes don’t want to leave them. That sure wasn’t expected. As a mom, it’s obvious now, but before having a child I thought it would be no big deal. Now I spend a part of every trip missing Bodhi and feeling homesick. 

But, getting away without children is so healthy. My husband and I have been fortunate in that we get to take a mini vacation every October for our anniversary. We usually just escape for two or three nights but it is the perfect amount of time to refresh as individuals and as a couple. Sometimes in the day-to-day of life as parents, we just don’t have the time to connect the way we’d like. Life is busy and fast and wonderful. But stopping with my amazing husband and simply being “us” without kids is good sometimes. Even a date night can be just what you need for this, but a vacation is that extra little refresher!

I decided to start planning a vacation with RCI this week even though we know the baby will make it a little harder to get away. It was so much fun and Maui was without a doubt, the place we would pick. Who doesn’t love a good vacation? But did you know that even the vacation planning process alone boosts happiness? Just the anticipation of a vacation boosts happiness for eight weeks which doesn’t surprise me at all! We are looking to take a short escape in October or November and I’m already feeling the boost of happiness!

Through RCI’s “Win Your Dream Vacation Sweepstakes,” you have the chance to win a dream vacation worth up to $25,000. A total of 40 vacations will be given away in celebration of RCI’s 40th anniversary. RCI is the global leader in vacation exchange.

If you’re ready to get that ‘vacation planning’ happiness boost, RCI’s “Win Your Dream Vacation Sweepstakes” has you covered. (And seriously, would anything make you happier than winning a dream vacation?). One lucky winner will win the grand prize vacation of their dreams (worth up to $25,000) and 39 others will win other amazing vacation prizes. Don’t forget to share your vacation on social media for additional entries!

Visit RCI.com/sweeps to enter to win until June 18 – and the more you share your dream vacation through social media, the higher your chances of winning.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.