I ran away from home this week, sort of.

For the first time in nearly 30 years, I took a vacation without a child or a husband (or both) in tow.It was a fairly last-minute decision and one made out of necessity rather than luxury.As I've said before, I'm always on the go, often taking on more than I can handle, while at the same time getting a rush from the challenge of it all.It's worked out pretty well for most of my life, but during the past year, it's really started to take a toll.My body is falling apart.My insomnia is worse.Probably because I have so many things to keep track of in my head and can't seem to turn it off in order to get some rest.I've also become very forgetful, which could be age, lack of sleep, too many things to keep track of or any combination of the three.Last month I was all showered, dressed and made up to go to work.I got as far as my car with purse and briefcase in my hands and realized that I wasn't wearing any shoes.Thank God it was only the shoes that I forgot … this time.I walk around day after day in a perpetual state of exhaustion, mixed in with a whole lot of confusion, stress and anxiety, along with just a little bit of depression thrown in to keep things interesting.Round and round I keep spinning, never really getting anywhere and feeling as if everything around me is about to crumble while my head is about to explode.I knew that something had to be done.So, I did what any good wife and mother would do and told hubby I was leaving, without him or our daughter, for three and a half days to make the trek to New Jersey in order to sit in the sand and do absolutely nothing.I told him that if I didn't go and "harness my chi" that I was going to lose it.Of course they were both bummed out and perhaps a little offended, but I explained to them that as selfish as it sounds, I needed some time where I didn't have to worry about anyone else's wants or needs and that I wanted, no, needed, to just veg out for a few days and catch up on some much needed sleep on the beach of course.I would be lying if I didn't say that making this decision has left me feeling selfish, guilty and reckless.After all, I'm backed up on much of my work, the house is starting to resemble the TV show "Hoarders"and I have a Sweet 16 party to shop and cook for this weekend; but as my eyes filled up with tears when I crossed over the bridge that leads to Seaside Heights, I realized how much I truly needed this.If it wasn't for the extremely heavy zero-gravity lounge chair that I was carrying to attend my own version of psychotherapy, I swear I would have sprinted past all of the sunbathers to find my spot in the sand and put my toes in the water to let the healing begin.When I did finally get myself situated, I slowly walked down to the water and put my feet in.It was a frigid 54 degrees and actually made my bones hurt.But that was OK, because the sound of the waves crashing against the sand was like a gentle massage of the mind, which quickly lulled me to sleep.I'm already feeling so much better after my first day here and I'm slowly letting go of the guilt.Like the battery that powers the laptop that I'm using to write this column, our bodies, minds and spirits need to be recharged.If we don't, we too are rendered useless.I have absolutely no plans for the next couple days.My mission is simple: Relax and heal.I know the family, the mess, the work and the party will all still be there when I return, but after these few days of rest, I will have been rejuvenated and ready to meet the demands of my life head-on and with a divinely peaceful smile on my face.