August 14th, 2016
I’ve been thinking lately of how this online journal is turning into a travel blog more than I initially intended. I definitely want to remember the trips we take since the travel opportunity was one of the greatest motivators for us in seeking out this adventure in the first place. Yet, at the same time, there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes…behind the pictures we take.
Recently, I’ve been listening to a four-part podcast called Travel with Kids through the blog, The Art of Simple. The host of the podcast is having an ongoing conversation with another woman about traveling around the world with their husbands and children. During the first three parts, the two woman talk about the reasons why they travel with young kids, the practicalities, the educational value and the highlights. Great thoughts that encourage me to make the most of this unique season in our lives.
In the last segment (part four), they talk about the hard. One of things they highlight is how aspects of relationships get magnified in the jet lag, culture shock, missing home, and overall stresses of travel. This is sooooo true! I really appreciated hearing both sides, especially when we are living out our own stories and what is getting magnified is not so easy. It doesn’t mean that we regret moving or want to throw in the towel because we don’t. It’s just an honest assessment. Depending on the moment, the “hard” vacillates from center stage to side lines and then back again.
On a regular basis, we find ourselves living outside of our comfort zone. I’ve seen the struggle this can be for our boys. Its hard on all of us. The emotional dam waters overflow on a regular basis with one of our kiddos and can strike the other at a moments notice. The meltdowns have been monumental, the stress is overwhelming at times and my perceived deficits as a mother feel massive. Then we add additional travel and all THAT entails and we sometimes have the makings for the perfect storm. Oh man!
The morning we left for England with Momo and Popo, we awoke at 4am to catch a VERY early flight. I could already feel the sharp edge on one of our boys and the sleep deficit was not helping. Here we are walking out to our plane as the sun was making its way to the horizon…
By mid-morning, about five hours later, we were attempting to figure out a seating arrangement in our rental car for the six of us and our luggage. The rental car agent was late to work that morning so we had sat around for awhile waiting to pick up our car. One child was jumping all around with more energy than his little body knew what to do with. Yet, the parking lot we were standing in wasn’t the best place to expel said energy. The other child was refusing to sit in the far back where we needed him to be and had lost any manners we have taught him over the past several years. (Though it doesn’t seem like it sometimes, we do work on manners on a daily basis…ugh!) It started to rain, the kids were yelling, we were playing Tetris with our luggage to get it to all fit, and our patience was running low alongside our blood sugar levels. Minutes later, we added the stress of driving a stick on the other side of the road, having a near, head-on collision and Mein Mann having to navigate both the roads and the voices of the rest of us. He did amazingly well being chauffeur, father, son and husband all at the same time!
Now that I remember all the details, I’m a little surprised that I took this picture in the middle of it all. How the heck are we still smiling?! Either I was in denial or somehow manage to convince myself that “this too will pass”…and it did. **Sigh**
One child fell asleep rather quickly while the other reluctantly settled into his back seat digs. I do remember Mein Mann telling me to loosen my death grip on my seat belt at one point. I think I grabbed it when I thought we were going to get hit and then forgot to let go once the imminent danger had passed. It probably took until lunchtime for our blood pressures to get back to normal!
There are layers often to the hard and trying to unpack it all in the moment is not possible. We often revisit scenarios later. Sometimes we learn from the experience and try to do things differently the next time. Other times, I simply hope for better days as I read more parenting books and listen to podcasts reassuring me that we are not alone.
