It had been a hectic week. Ron, my husband, had been in back-to-back meetings, and I’d been working on a stressful project that required a lot of long hours.
Friday finally arrived and we both collapsed into our usual Friday night “crash-and-burn” routine of microwaved meals in front of the TV. About halfway through our show, I found myself staring at the pile of laundry that had to be folded, the floor that had to be mopped…
I felt a knot in my shoulders, a tightening of my gut. I just couldn’t take another single day of, “I have to…”
“Let’s go to Jacksonville,” I blurted.
A weekend of R&R instead of mowing the lawn? He was in!
When you think, “relaxing destination,” Jacksonville might not be the first place that comes to mind. It’s a famously large and vibrant city, known for its art, music and exciting nightlife. However, one of the best things about Jacksonville is that it has something for everyone— you can create any kind of vacation you want. It definitely checks all the boxes for a wellness getaway: miles of beaches, golf courses, quiet restaurants where you can unwind and chat, over 400 parks with thousands of trails to explore… and there’s also the St. Johns River, which winds slowly through the city, offering countless ways to enjoy a beautiful day.
Nothing is more relaxing than the beach, so we headed there first to decompress. As soon as I stretched out on that blanket and felt the warmth from the sand soak into my body, it was like work and chores never existed.
Ron and I spent the rest of the morning walking along the beach, sometimes together, sometimes solo, and always feeling completely free. At one point he challenged me to a race, which ended up with us in the water, splashing each other like kids.
Our room at One Ocean Resort and Spa overlooked the ocean and, after showering and ordering a light lunch, there was only one thing left to do—take a long nap. I resisted naps in the “real world” because there was always something that needed to be done and I’d feel like I was being lazy.
But here, with the balcony doors thrown open, the warm ocean breeze blowing in, and the fluffy white comforter puffed up like a cloud, it was easy to listen to what my body was saying and embrace recharging my batteries.
Eventually hunger took over, so we got up and headed to The Beaches Town Center, just steps from the hotel. Completely without a plan (for once), we strolled along seeing lots of restaurants options until we found Homespun Kitchen, an amazing health food restaurant. While we were chatting, Ron laughed, and I noticed his ever-present distracted “thinking frown” was gone, replaced by the goofy grin I’d fallen in love with.
The next day, I was up before dawn because our plan was to go to Big Talbot Island for a morning of kayaking with Up the Creek Xpeditions. Ron looked so peaceful sleeping, though, that I decided to have some coffee on the balcony before waking him up. I watched the sunrise in complete peace and quiet, the orange light washed across the surface of the ocean until it brushed the sand, turning it to gold.
An hour later we eased our kayaks into the water. I absolutely love kayaking, especially in the morning when the water tends to be still and fewer people are out. There’s something special about gliding inches above the water, paying attention to tiny things like floating plants and minnows, focused on nothing but rhythmic paddling.
It seems like it would be a perfect time to chat, but Ron and I rarely talk while kayaking. We just naturally go into our own headspace—something that’s very hard to do in our busy, internet-and-phone filled world. It’s incredibly refreshing to just exist, to slip into a meditative mindfulness that lets you clear out all that exhausting brain chatter.
Back at the hotel, Ron opted for another nap. I was tempted once again by that fluffy comforter, but since I was a little sore from the morning’s paddle, I couldn’t resist heading down to the spa for a massage.
Two hours later, I was a warm jelly blob of relaxation. Half asleep and wrapped in heavy, steaming towels, I felt life couldn’t possibly get any better. Then the masseuse asked, “Do you want a hand massage?”
A hand massage? Is that a thing? I asked myself.
“Sure, why not?”
Not only is a hand massage a thing, it’s now my thing. I had no idea how much tension a person can hold in their wrists and hands! It was relaxation at a whole new level, and something I’ve since added to my must-do-self-care list at home!
We ended our Jacksonville R&R getaway with a romantic walk on the beach at sunset. We talked about all sorts of things—the current trip and past vacations, we created alternate endings for movies, for some reason we got into a lively discussion about goats as pets, and talked about building an eco-friendly dream house.
What we didn’t talk about was work, bills, stress, or chores. Our escape to Jacksonville had worked exactly as hoped—we were able to get out of our stressful rut, reconnect with each other, and have some well-earned fun.
It was a spur-of-the moment trip, but it made me realize how important it is to take time to recharge. I had a renewed energy and focus going into the next week of work, and an all-around better attitude. It was so transformative that Ron and I vowed to make weekend wellness getaways a regular thing. It’s a no-brainer where we’ll go—we’re heading straight back to Jacksonville.