Ten years of marriage or "go have an affair with your husband"

Yes, I really did mean to say, "go have an affair with your husband (spouse, partner)." There is nothing like adventure, excitement, together time with no one else around... the thrill of being with somebody who still gets you jazzed up.

We've lived together for fourteen years and been married for ten. Had I known how amazing it would be to get away for an overnight without kids, I would have insisted on it a long time ago. It's the best therapy there is.

Let's face it. Relationships are never entirely carefree, no matter how much you love each other. Throw some stressors in, and well, I think we all know how NOT easy marriage can be at times. In reality, I'd say we have a really strong one; we are an amazing team, but we work hard at it.

We were gone for just 24 hours, but it felt like a whole weekend. We motorcycled up to the parkway and camped at Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi river. It was utterly amazing to camp on the ridge and be able to look off both sides. We took sushi and a bottle of wine. No cooking! Definitely the way to go.

The next day was coffee in our sleeping bags and some Lara bars. We did a couple of hikes right from our campsite. Our wedding day was during peak leaf season ten years ago, and it was that way this year as well.

My husband and I worked together in an outdoor program, and paddled together for a full year before we ever "got together." We have many years of adventures between us, and somehow going to the highest point in North Carolina for our anniversary on a motorcycle, and tent camping in 30 mile per hour winds with temps below freezing is what we call romance. I'm grinning as I write. It makes us sound pretty hard core, but I guess we are just a little bit. Still, with all our gear, we were never uncomfortable. In fact, I'd label us pretty much "blissed out" the entire time.

After being home and back to family life, the bliss definitely ebbed. It was back to a schedule and meeting kids' needs. No get-aways to high mountain tops with long uninterrupted conversations. We kept stealing looks at one another, co-conspirators of what it can be like without kids.

One thing we talked about on our get-away was that our past adventures are something we hold onto to keep us excited about our lives. Meaning, it's the experiences, not the attainment of objects, that we both treasure. I enjoyed spending time with my playmate again, letting the adventure unfold together. It was like stepping back in time fourteen years. I'm savoring it even now.