Our Time Away to Relax & Recharge Prior to FET

For couples going through a difficult time  it is extremely important to support one another and to make your relationship a priority. This Infertility journey can be such a roller coaster of events and emotions. Especially during the IVF process. After the egg retrieval, we have been on a break from treatment. We have 3 weeks between our egg retrieval and our next visit to the fertility clinic. Then, the next step will be preparing for our frozen embryo transfer (FET).

This break was not planned and could not have occurred at a more perfect time. This past week we celebrated both Valentine’s Day and our wedding anniversary. Our original dreams included having children by this point and spending this milestone anniversary in Hawaii. It can be disappointing to look at life and see the goals that have not yet been reached. Instead of dwelling on these disappointments, we decided to focus on what we do have, each other.

A short 3 day weekend trip to Jacksonville and Amelia Island was just what we needed to relax and recharge. The first night we stayed in Jacksonville. It was a rainy day so we were able to rest most of the afternoon. The highlight of the evening was a relaxed dinner out at an amazing local Tex-Mex restaurant, Taco Lu.

On this trip we decided to only use technology while driving around and for taking pictures to focus our attention on quality time. This lasted only the first two days. However, it was really nice to unplug and really focus on each other.

Segway tour

The following morning, we enjoyed a nice brunch at the hotel before heading over to Omni Amelia Island Plantation where we had booked a 1.5 hour Segway tour on the beach trail. This was an amazing experience which we would highly recommend. I got nervous when actually seeing the segways in person. Thankfully, this fear was short lived. Our guides took the time to really make sure we learned how to ride the segways prior to heading out on the tour. We also spent some time exploring the resort on our own. The resort featured a nature center and many different family friendly activities. There is an array of small shops and restaurants around a large pond. A river also runs through the property and it is absolutely stunning. This is truly a beautiful and relaxing vacation spot.

Later, that evening we walked around downtown Amelia Island. There are many different little boutiques and unique  shops. It was also nice to walk along the water on the boardwalk at the end of the street. There are a ton of local restaurants to choose from. We ate dinner at Tasty’s Fresh Burgers and Fries. They have great options for traditional and non traditional burgers. In addition to a variety of fries, they serve tots (which are my fav). There are also a couple of places to stop for ice cream.

Monday, we enjoyed a 60 minute couples massage at Coastal Massage Therapy. It was so relaxing. The studio is adorable and our therapists were amazing. Then, we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Fort Clinch State Park. There are camping areas, hiking trails, a museum and of course Fort Clinch located near the beach. We enjoyed visiting the fort and spending some time on the beach. Arwin really enjoyed finding shark teeth along the water.

Shark tooth

Amelia Island is a perfect vacation spot for a getaway. It provided just what we needed in order to be able to relax and recharge. It is so important to enjoy quality time with your spouse. To love and support each other during the difficult times and not to lose focus of what is really important.