Despite feeling like I’ve emerged on the other side of my existential, coincidentally midlife crisis, I still have moments of sheer panic and dread at the state of my life. It’s not objectively bad, I know this rationally. I have a job, my family is healthy and well-adjusted (of sorts), we have home and food security – you know the basics are covered. Beyond that we have love and joy and happiness – all those good things that give life meaning. And yet, on a random Tuesday I am overcome with malaise, with desperation that has no outlet in my daily life.

The morning was particularly frazzled – late start, dawdling child, nearly-missed school bus, my work product was suboptimal which annoys me more than it should, I’m only now realizing that breakfast was skipped. The logical thing to do would be to take a breather, eat something, and get back to it. Instead, I’ll plan an itinerary from my spreadsheet of potential holiday destinations. This is my version of relaxation. I plan the holidays I can’t take. 

Fortunately, today I can plan a trip that’s on the calendar! We’re heading to St. Lucia in March. How did we land on St. Lucia? Well, I have a love of all things beach, jungle, tropical, island, and St. Lucia ticks all those boxes. Plus, the airfare over spring break wasn’t as shocking as some of the alternatives. It’s geared as a couple’s romantic getaway and the honeymoon crowd is well-catered to, but we’ll be taking our seven-year-old and so I need to plan things a little differently. Challenge accepted. What I look for in a holiday is balance (this is turning out to be quite the theme in my life). I want a chance for exploration and adventure, opportunities for relaxation and recharge, getting into nature, no-rush itineraries, authentic experiences, not luxury but not roughing it, and a little something for everyone. I don’t like to plan kid-centric holidays but she’s not just tagging along, this is core memory making for us all. So, here’s what I’m planning, and I’ll report back in April on what actually worked.

We’re staying at the Fond Doux Eco Resort. 

• They’re moderately priced for an island that leans toward luxury. 
• They’re based in Soufrière which was one of my priorities because of its proximity to most of the sites we want to see, the scenery and a bit more removed from the big resorts and cruise ships.
• They’re locally owned, and I don’t feel like contributing to the coffers of some big, faceless corporate entities right now. 
• They welcome children – and honestly, I wasn’t finding a lot of non-big resort hotels that accepted children this young.
• I didn’t feel like going the self-catering Airbnb route this time around, and that might be because I’m feeling particularly burnt out, but I wanted a resort of sorts. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll treat myself to a massage at the spa while Dear Husband (The Co-Pilot) spends quality time with Darling/Devilish Daughter (Pip).
• They have a shuttle to Sugar Beach which looks amazing, it’s set in the rainforest, and offers insight into both the island’s history and culture – set on a 250-year-old working cocoa plantation. Ding ding ding in my books.
• And since I’m feeling particularly contrary to a global corporate oligarchy, the fact that the hotel has adopted eco practices is all the better. 

We wavered on whether to rent a car or not given reports about the state of the roads, and did I mention my burnout? It seemed like too much to handle. But at the end of the day The Co-Pilot (husband) is the designated (or should I say dedicated) driver and he was willing to give it a go. He’s been our fearless driver in Costa Rica, Allegheny Mountain roads, Northern Thailand hills, Barbados traffic, and so it makes sense for us. Taxis seem to be quite expensive, and we really like the flexibility that a car gives us. While I love to plan the itinerary down to a tee, the reality is that sometimes kids get sick or grumpy, weather doesn’t cooperate, or we’re just not in the mood for what I had planned. I like to plan activities that we can plug and play into our time, and I’m ok with just hanging out on the beach too. We chose a local car rental vendor, which I try to do in every location.

As for activities, I have a list of must-do and nice-to-do things:

1. I like to make sure that we have time to explore the resort grounds and have at least one day at Sugar Beach.
2. For another beach day, Anse Chastanet Beach is on our radar due to its relatively easy beach access to snorkeling spots and apparently laid-back vibe. Of course, we’re going to an island so we need to bank on several beach days.
3. Tet Paul Nature Trail is a must for me. It’s touted as an easy trail so that’s a plus with the kiddo and it will give us a chance to see the dramatic landscape of the Pitons. Afterall, St. Lucia’s mountainous volcanic landscape is what makes the island particularly interesting to us.
4. Speaking of volcanos, the Sulphur Springs, Mud Baths and Drive-in Volcano are on the agenda. I don’t think we can visit a volcanic island and not see the caldera. Afterwards I’d like to rinse off in a waterfall like the tours offer (we’ll be doing this on our own), so I scoped the nearby spot:

• Malgretoute Falls, sometimes called Piton Falls offers a waterfall with three small pools to soak in.
• Tour groups often use Toraille Falls or Diamond Falls to wash off.

5. New Jerusalem Mineral Baths. Pip and I are BIG fans of mineral baths. I don’t know why my seven-year-old has picked up such an affinity for thermal pools, but she is big into the natural spa scene, and I’m here for it. This attraction is a bit off the beaten path of must-dos but I think it could be a winner for us.

The maybe-list is a bit shorter than the must-do. 

6. Rainforest Adventures – Zipline. Pip (daughter) is a thrill-seeker, I am not. This could be an option for The Co-Pilot and Pip for an outing while I relax at the resort, but sometimes the appeal of adventure pales in the face of time spent apart from mama. 
7. Pigeon Island National Park. I love the idea of this excursion – the history, the vantage point of St. Lucia, but I’m not sure we’d want to spend a full day on this activity when there are so many other things to prioritize, including just chilling. It would be a 90-minute drive each way and that tips it out of the running for must-do. If we had split our stay between the North and the South then I would consider this as a must-do for the Northern stay portion.
8. Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens and Mineral Baths. I always include a botanic garden, and we hardly ever make it, but the intention is there, the waterfall and mineral baths would make this particular botanical gardens a good all-rounder for the family.

So that’s the plan for our 7 nights in St. Lucia. We’re aiming for a family-friendly itinerary designed for beach, nature, and rest – all on a moderate budget under $5,000 excluding airfare during peak season Spring Break.