As a mom, I travel by myself to empower my daughters. I want them to know they can do it too.

• I went on a 10-day trip to Italy with my sister, cousin, and a friend.
• My husband watched our girls, who are 8 and 4.

"Kids? What kids?" I joked with my sister. We were on a ferry boat crisscrossing Lake Como in Northern Italy. It was cold and stormy, but we didn't care. My skirt was blowing in the breeze, and I was sipping an Aperol Spritz when I wasn't too busy gasping at the views of the Alps.

I'd be lying if I said that I was missing my daughters — who were 4 and 8 — in that moment. I was at the start of a 10 day girls' trip around Italy with my sister, cousin, and a friend. I knew I'd love to share this view with my daughters and nephew someday. But in that moment, I was basking in the experience of being temporarily child-free, traveling solo in a way I hadn't in a decade.

As we watched a family with two toddlers disembark with a stroller, diaper bags, and snacks, my sister and I sipped our drinks and exchanged grateful glances.

At first, I wasn't sure I could be away from my family for so long

When my sister was invited to a wedding in Italy, she immediately asked me if I wanted to turn it into a girls' trip. My gut reaction was, "omg yes!" but then reality gave me pause. Asking my husband to parent solo for two weeks was a lot, and I knew my girls would probably miss me. Plus, I wasn't sure if I should spend so much money on a trip without my family.

So, I floated the idea to my husband. "You have to go," he said instantly. "We'll be fine."

I tempered my enthusiasm to make sure he had an out if he needed one. But again and again over the next few months, he had the same answer: take advantage of this opportunity and don't worry about us.

His confidence allowed me to be honest with myself — of course I wanted to spend two weeks stepping out of my role as a mom, wife, and business owner. That shouldn't make me feel guilty.

People kept asking who would watch the kids

As the trip approached, my husband was excited in his own right. He was looking forward to spending even more time with the girls, cooking dad meals, and camping out in the yard. But when I mentioned the trip to other parents — mostly moms — they all had one question: "Who's watching the kids?"

The answer seemed clear to me: their father, of course. My husband is a hands-on dad, just as likely as me to run the carpool to practice or pick our little one up from preschool. And yet, most people seemed shocked that he'd voluntarily take on solo parenting for nearly two weeks.

They were probably just as surprised that I was asking him to. As moms, we're conditioned to put our children and partners first. Traveling for work is pretty widely accepted, but a mom absconding just because she wants to get away happens much less often.

I'd even felt a tug of judgment toward myself — should I want to be away from the three people I love most? The truth was, I did. I knew my husband and my daughters would be just fine without me and that 10 days apart wouldn't impact our love or bond.

Yes, the trip was selfish. As I planned it, I reminded myself it's OK to be selfish sometimes. But the trip was also a teaching moment. I wanted to show my daughters that they can continue to chase their passions and do things for themselves throughout their lives. They can find partners who are willing and able to make space for them to be fully themselves.

I'm definitely going on more mom-only trips in the future

The trip was better than I even anticipated. I piloted a boat along the rocky Mediterranean coast and shared a drink with an old Venetian who taught me about the city's history. I slept through the night without worrying about a child creeping into my room and savored my meals without interruption. Even airport delays felt luxurious as I read a book in peace.

And yet somewhere along the way, my sister and I noticed our mind shift from "what kids?" to what a joy it was going to be seeing our kids again. I came home with renewed energy and appreciation for my family — and with certainty that I'll be making more space for family-free travel in the future.