This summer, my husband and I had our 10-year wedding anniversary. We wanted to do something to celebrate this milestone. Over the past few years, we’ve started to explore the Southwest but had never experienced the Grand Canyon. Upon some fantastic recommendations, we decided to take a rafting trip with Arizona River Runners and quickly made arrangements for our 6 and 8 year old kids to stay with grandma and grandpa for the week. We were pumped and ready for adventure!
As the trip approached, the kids became more excited and asked me to put a “sleepover” on the family calendar and talked about what they would do while away. I began to worry. Would they get homesick? What would it be like to not even be able to FaceTime them or give them a quick call to check in? I reminded myself how important it is to be connected to my spouse and not become strangers. Still, worry lurked around while we bought rain gear, scheduled flights, and packed up the kids.
We set off for our river trip and quickly became kids ourselves in one of nature’s greatest playgrounds. We started to make friends and try new things. We saw wildlife, faced rapids, and swam in the Little Colorado River. Arizona River Runners made it so easy to not worry about plans or decisions. Being disconnected from our jobs and phones helped my spouse and I be present to all the Grand Canyon has to offer and one another.
At night, listening to the river, it sounded like the sound machines our kids used at home. It made us miss them but also provided comfort. Before our trip, my daughter had said, “If you can’t fall asleep, just count the stars”. Sleeping under the Milky Way there were too many stars to count, so we had to resort to counting shooting stars and satellites. Each time one whizzed overhead my husband and I looked at each other and smiled. Upon our return home, we were all excited to share hugs and stories of our adventure. I’m so glad that my husband and I took the trip with Arizona River Runners. Our kids grew in independence while we were gone and it helped us have fun, reconnect, and focus on what really matters.
Written by Kristin C., age 41
