by Kate Willoughby Hall, Richmondmom.com Founder/CEO, mom-of-three, appreciative of her girls’ weekend away 
I am sitting on my living-room sofa, awaiting the return of my husband and three little ones, basking in the last few moments of silence, yet eager for the missing noise to once again fill the house. It’s been forty-eight hours and I haven’t seen any of them. This weekend, I had my first official “girls beach weekend” in the Outer Banks. There was no wedding, no event, no real reason for the trip, other than relaxation. We had the generous occasion of a super-reasonable rate in a beautiful home in Nags Head, oceanfront, complete with pool and hot tub.
There are several things I took away with me:
1) I needed this weekend more than I knew. Having never done this before, I was thrilled at the thought of doing nothing (any weekends away prior surrounded a friend’s wedding, an annual football game, some big event that takes up the entire weekend and zaps out time for real relaxation). This expectation was fulfilled, in the gaining of a nice tan (ok a burn, too, but I had sunscreen on, I’m just an albino), completion of an amazing book by a Richmond author (extra treat), and imbibing beverages that were not two-buck chuck. (no offense to Trader Joe’s lovers, I just needed a break.)
2) Girlfriends are amazing. Eleven of us gathered; some of us were long-time friends, some of us were new acquaintances. By the end of the weekend, we were all confidantes, having shared laughs, shenanigans at the local nightclub, and the shared revelry of mommy/wife/war stories.
3) Feeling the sand beneath my toes was important. In the hustle-and-bustle of shuffling children to-and-fro, running to the grocery store, taking care of my clients (whom I adore, truly), maintaining my site, and in general being the chief cook-and-bottle-washer of the Hall household, there is little time to actually SIT and RELAX. These two activities, while often not achieved by mothers are truly necessary to well-being and good health. I had forgotten this.
4) Teamwork rocks. There’s nothing like a group of women who are willing to make breakfast for the house, wash someone else’s dishes, and graciously lend you their sunscreen, shampoo or lotion. When it was time to pack up, many hands truly made light work, and it amazed me that this collaboration of women of all ages, stages, and backgrounds pitched in and truly wanted to help in any way.
5) Absence did make my heart grow fonder. As if I didn’t already have love overflowing in my heart for these three little people & the hubs; the hugs I received upon greeting them after a mere 48-hours squeezed the affection right back into me. They had a blast with their daddy and grandparents, but they did miss me, afterall. As I did them.
