Life after kids…I can get used to it!

This is the first year that all three of my kids are out of the house, the “baby” having recently gone away to college. For the first time, my husband and I set out on an adventure in January. January! Oh, the decadence of being able to kiss the cat goodbye (left in capable hands) and walk out the door (even though the kids did steal all our nice luggage). In the past, January, month of mind-numbing cold and blizzards, was a month I often wished I could skip in Ohio. So where did we go–well, we spent a few days in Scottsdale, Arizona, where hubby had business (and I wrote all day), and then two in Sedona for fun. 

It was weird taking a trip alone without the kids, a luxury we rarely had when the they were young. But it was even weirder learning some things I probably should have known but didn’t:

–The sky in Arizona was the most gorgeous shade of blue that I’ve ever seen. Ever.

–Grocery stores sell flowers in January. January! Amazing.

–Arizona has palm trees. Who knew?

–The state tree, the palo verde, has green bark that contains chlorophyll (hence the greenness). As my friend said, it looks like something out of a Dr. Seuss book.

Green all over! Palo verde, state tree of AZ.

–You can outside sit under the stars at a restaurant (in January!) and not be cold because every place has got these cool outdoor propane powered heaters.

–There was a dramatic temperature difference between Scottsdale and Sedona due to the elevation. In Sedona, we encountered a blizzard…felt just like home 🙂

Blizzard: Sedona or Cleveland?

Good old days.

–In a weird way, I still feel the same as when my husband and I took trips together in our twenties. Of course, many things have happened and our shared history is much larger, but it was really fun, being together and not talking about our children.  Lest we get too happy, our kids still found us via text and phone and tormented us in that special way that only they can. It was just nice to learn that yes, folks, I still really like that guy I married and yes, there is life after kids.