I took an international trip for my 50th birthday and left my family at home. It felt selfish at first, but I needed it.

• I haven’t traveled a lot since having kids, but I decided to celebrate my 50th birthday abroad.
• My kids’ and husband’s schedules wouldn’t allow them to join in, so I went to Norway alone.
• The decision initially felt selfish, but I soon realized I was teaching my kids an important lesson.

As a mom of three teenagers, most of my days revolve around carpools, meal prep, and managing a packed family calendar.

So, when I stumbled upon a cruise timed to my 50th birthday — one that would take me through Norway, a country that’s long been on my travel bucket list — my instinct was to figure out a way to bring the whole family along.

The logistics seemed impossible, though. My middle child was working as a camp counselor in the mountains near Yosemite all summer, my husband was using his limited vacation time to visit family on the East Coast, and my other two kids had their own obligations.

For a moment, I considered shelving the trip altogether. Instead, I decided to go alone.

Solo travel — and travel in general — hasn’t been a big part of my life since having kids

When I told my family that I’d be going without them, they were surprised.

In my family, travel is typically more low-key: a short weekend trip to Tahoe, camping at a nearby state park. Quick trips are easier to fit into my teens’ schedules.

We usually save big vacations for milestones, like when our extended family went to Puerto Vallarta a few years ago to celebrate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.

Booking a trip by myself felt uncomfortable at first, but I’d wanted to visit Norway since I was in sixth grade. This cruise would be an easy way to do just that — and, while I was at it, I decided to spend a few days alone in Amsterdam before boarding the ship.

I got to travel as myself, not as ‘Mom’

After I booked my flight to Amsterdam, I decided to lean into the freedom. I signed up for a food tour and canal cruise that I knew I’d enjoy. In the Netherlands, I ate when I wanted to, savored prosecco at canal-side cafés, and walked miles each day.

Once I got aboard the cruise, I booked excursions that appealed to me, spending the day zipping around the fjords of Skjolden on a rigid inflatable boat. I reserved a floating sauna in the tiny town of Leirvik, where I invited strangers-turned-friends to join me in an invigorating cold plunge.

When I returned to the ship each day, I enjoyed an hour in the blissfully quiet, kid-free hydrotherapy lounge. This was the perfect time to completely relax, without the pull of all the responsibilities I was used to back home.

Under the waterfall jets, my muscles relaxed, my cares melted away, and I was truly myself.

I realized this was the best birthday gift I could have given myself

The trip felt bold, maybe even selfish at first, but once the two weeks were up, I realized it was exactly what I needed. It reminded me that I’m not only a mom and wife, but also a person with her own dreams.

When I came home, I carried back more than just photos of fjords and bags of Scandinavian candies. I came back with a message for my kids: Trying new, exciting things doesn’t have an expiration date.

For me, turning 50 wasn’t about slowing down. It was about giving myself permission to live more boldly and showing my kids that they can, too.

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