Guest post: Is a vacation with twins really a vacation?
13th January 2010
My husband and I love to travel and usually go on 2 trips a year. So when the twins arrived we wondered when we would travel again, how we would travel again.
We were supposed to go to Portugal for 2 weeks in August/September but had the crazy idea to move again so our trip to visit family was postponed. We couldn’t go a year without going somewhere; our last getaway was a long weekend in New York when I was 5 months pregnant.
Our bodies were yearning for sun so we booked a week in Bahamas…with the twins.
We were trying to decide how we could get the most out of a vacation in the sun with twins – how could we enjoy the sun, sand & water and still have the twins nap and play and be happy. We decided that renting a house would be a great option, while the twins were napping or down for the night we could still sit outside and enjoy the weather, go for a swim in the pool and be able to eat when we wanted. We didn’t want to be stuck in a hotel room whispering once the babes were sleeping so a resort was out.
The wonderful people we rented the house from were amazing. They arranged for 2 car seats, 2 pack and plays, 2 high chairs and anything else we needed or wanted. The flight to Bahamas was uneventful, the twins made friends with everyone, they ate and even slept for a little bit; but sleeping for an hour from 6am to 2pm made for very tired babies when we landed (why do flights to warm climates always have to be so damn early in the morning?).
One thing we noticed about Bahamas that is a shame is the lack of nice public beaches, the island is full of hotels and resorts that take up the prime real estate. Having somewhere to warm up the babies bottles and food was a necessity. Thankfully my husband has a friend who lives on the island and was kind enough to give us a pass to his private club/beach. By the end of the vacation we had spent everyday but one at that private beach, they warmed up the babes bottles and food for us at their restaurant, we were waited on by a great guy named Carlton who was a twin himself, they had cabanas that they twins enjoyed their naps in and we were able to enjoy the sun, sand and water.
You quickly realize that your travel life with kids is so much different than travel life solo. You can’t just pick up and go anywhere, you can’t just wing it and hope you can find somewhere to eat, cool off, sit in the shade and all the other things you need to worry about with kids.
I realized on about day 3 that it wasn’t so much a vacation but the same routine in a better location. We didn’t get to go out for romantic dinners alone, we cooked every night, we took turns getting to do the things we wanted. My husband went diving one morning and I sat on the beach and read in peace one afternoon. Like everything, there has to be give and take.
Do I think it was a vacation? Yes and no. Was it worth it – absolutely! It was great to see the twins experiencing the sand and ocean for the first time. I also realized how adaptable and friendly the babes are. Sofie was happy to play in the sand all day, she didn’t want to nap and didn’t put up a fuss whereas Sebastian needed his sleep so we made sure he got his rest.
Denise Dillon is currently on maternity leave from her job in risk management/compliance in the financial industry. She met the love of her life 10 years ago at work and has been married to him for 5 of those years. The exhausted 34-year-old mom of 10 month old fraternal twins has been trying to find herself within the mess of her new life while enjoying the view outside her windows in south Durham. Read the twins’ adventures at The Pinto Beans.
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I really struggled with this this past summer at the cottage. The last time we went, I was pregnant with Alice, and Lucy did a ton of playing on her own. Plus she still napped.
This year, Alice was walking already, Lucy had stopped napping, and we never got a moment to ourselves unless it was at night. When we were tired from not having a moment to ourselves
Good for you for being adaptable and recognizing the adaptability of your kids. That seems like a good mantra to have on a quasi vacation!
I can totally relate to this post. My husband and I took Avery to Florida over the Christmas holidays. Vacation? Well sort of…the background was definitely a nice change from the cold, wintery weather but the day to day routine felt oddly familiar
I wouldn’t say it was “restful” but overall it was a fun adventure.
your very brave. Good for you! Me and my hubby are planning a vacation somewhere hot this spring and the twins are staying at Nanas… they can go when their 18! (or maybe 5 or 6)