Last week, my husband and I escaped. That's right. We took a five-day break from reality and traveled without our three girls in celebration of our anniversary.

If you've ever traveled without children, you know there is a LOT of prep work prior to leaving them. You have to find someone to watch them, get them to activities, and keep them from killing each other. But that's only the beginning. Once that is taken care of, you have to make sure everyone's clothes are clean, the house is presentable, and you've packed everything you need for the trip.

We'd already determined we were traveling light (one carry-on between us for five days). As I was packing our clothes, I started thinking about my camera. It was a short internal conversation. I've been to Las Vegas - our destination - numerous times. I've pretty much photographed everything I've wanted to. Nope, this trip was about relaxing and the camera was staying home.

Our short trip brought much needed relaxation: casino visits, a spa visit, lots of walking, eating, sleeping late, and taking in some shows. We were left with no set plans for our last day of the trip. We threw around ideas and finally decided to go to the Grand Canyon. My husband mentioned the camera we left at home. I hadn't even thought of it until then. A small part of me regretted leaving it at home, but a bigger part of me, the one who had been relaxing for several consecutive days, was completely OK with it.

The next morning, we hopped on the bus and headed to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. We made three stops around the Rim Area. We enjoyed lunch and took in the sights together. The scenery was spectacular and, minus the gear, I felt like I could truly take it all in. I didn't have to worry about where my gear was, the weight of it on my back in 110-degree heat, or the pressure to nab a spectacular shot from this trip. I climbed a large mound of rocks to grab a couple snapshots on my phone, but capturing the scenery wasn't a priority. It didn't have to be.