When the Family Travel Plans Fell Apart, We Found Exactly What We Needed

A couple of weeks ago, I did something that’s very unlike me.

I booked a last-minute trip.

Yes, me, the one who can’t even decide what to order off the menu. If you know me, you’re probably shocked.

I’m a planner. I research destinations, compare hotels, read reviews, and overthink just about every decision. I ask my husband what he thinks… and then keep researching anyway.

Months ago, we blocked off the last week of July for a family vacation. I kept asking the kids to let me know when they’d be free.

“Can you check your schedules?”

“Do you know your internship dates yet?”

And then again…

“Can you check your schedules?”

Bueller?… Bueller…?

If you’ve got teen or adult kids, you probably know where this is going.

Between work, internships, girlfriends, friends, and all the other commitments that come with this stage of life, our family summer vacation wasn’t going to happen.

It’s another one of those reminders of kids growing up, and life pulling everyone in different directions.

My husband and I looked at each other and said… well, we still want to go somewhere.

With two kids in college, we had a small budget to work with, but we did have a stash of American Airlines miles.

So one evening, I started searching for flight deals using points around that time. (I’ll share more about how I search for deals in another article.)

I looked for somewhere warm. Somewhere with a beach. Somewhere that didn’t take forever to get to.

Then a St. Lucia deal popped up.

I didn’t know much about St. Lucia.

And then I thought, “Why not?” – taking my own advice.

We only had five nights, so we split them between two resorts. We thought about renting a car for about five minutes…until we learned about the winding mountain roads, the rough drive to our first hotel, and one detail that completely changed our minds.

They drive on the left side of the road!

We arranged private transfers and spent the drives enjoying the scenery rather than wondering whether we were turning into oncoming traffic.

As we wound up the mountain switchbacks from the airport, our eyes kept bouncing between the lush towering palms, bright tropical flowers, and brilliant red flamboyant trees (yes, that’s actually their name — confirmed with my Seek app), and the glimpses of the Pitons (the two iconic, dormant volcanic peaks) appearing around each curve.

At Anse Chastanet Resort, our room didn’t even have a fourth wall, just a view of the Pitons to the left and the beach to the right. We fell asleep listening to frogs, cicadas, crickets, and the gentle waves. It felt like staying in a treehouse in the middle of the rainforest.

Waking up and seeing the Pitons first thing, from the canopy bed, and then, even while showering… what a unique, unforgettable experience.

For the second half of the trip, we moved to Calabash Cove Resort and Spa. With only 26 rooms, it felt peaceful from the minute we arrived. We stayed in a cottage with our own plunge pool, a first for both of us, and spent our days paddleboarding, enjoying lingering meals (Spanish has a wonderful word for this: sobremesa), and chatting with the staff at the pool swim-up bar, who taught us all about the island and the culture.

Normally when we travel, we’re constantly on the go. We want to see everything, try local shops and restaurants, and squeeze as much as possible into every day.

This trip wasn’t like that.

It was a much-needed break, reconnection, reset.

We slowed down. We watched sunsets. We slept. And we didn’t feel guilty for doing… well… not much at all.

And the kids…?

They had a great five nights, too. They worked, spent time with friends, and enjoyed some independence.

It wasn’t the vacation I’d imagined, but it turned out to be exactly what everyone needed.