Travel Buds
I’ve been busy getting ready for my trip to Mexico tomorrow. Departures are getting rougher as I get older. Yep, it’s true. The reason quite simply is I hate leaving my little girl for any period of time. Ironically, I think the older I get the easier it gets on her and the harder it gets on me. So, I thought I would share a few things I tend to do while traveling so I don’t feel so damn lost without her. I always make arrangements that I’ll be calling everyday at a set time (give or take a few min). I use services like Skype and MSN Messenger for those times when internet is more readily available than a simple phone. I added an inexpensive phone on my plan so that I can text her because often times it’s easier to send a text than make a call. And, when all else fails I resort to the good old fashion postcard. I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I ever feel guilty when I leave. Truth be told, no. When I’m home she has 120% of my attention and not a percent less. I try to take her on as many of my travels as possible, but you know that school thing has a tendency to get in the way. 😉 Truthfully, leaving her behind never feels right because it’s like I’m leaving my best travel bud behind. I can’t wait until the day she can travel with me whenever/wherever I go, but until then I’ll have to rely upon phones, internet and postcards.
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Enjoyed the blog entry for today! I understand completely the feeling you get when you must leave your “Bud” behind. My daughter is 10 and goes with me when I'm shooting photos. I'm just starting to bloom in the field. I love to shoot golf tournaments, baseball games, wildlife, nature, etc. I'm divorced from her father, who now lives in California. I did the text messaging for her to stay in touch with him. As for the older we get issue. It's because as parents we can see how fast time really passes by. We want more than anything to keep them little and protect them. In their young minds, all they can see is spending quality time with someone they love & trust!
Amy, thanks for you comments. It is all about quality time…thanks for sharing. John
Hi John,
I feel your pain! It never gets easier to leave your kids! We used to travel a lot with our kids when they were younger – camping trips all over the country. Now that they are older, traveling for my husband and I doesn’t carry the same enthusiasm. And now it’s hard to leave the grandkids behind!
Every Easter break, as many of our six children and their families that are able, make the trip to the Florida panhandle for a week’s vacation together. We love it and the grandkids have so much fun together on the beach. So we treasure our family, but travels seem really empty without them along to share the sights.
Best wishes for your trip to Mexico. Hope you get some great shots!
It doesn't get any easier, leaving them behind – even after they're grown. My husband and I used to take our kids camping all over the country. We really enjoyed the time we spent together. Now that he's retired, we could go anytime, but it's not the same. It's even getting hard to leave the grandkids now!
Agreed…it never gets easier….John