I'm Lindsay Ferrier, a Nashville writer with a passion for family travel, exploring Tennessee, and raising kids without losing my mind in the process. This is where I share my discoveries, along with occasional deep thoughts, pop culture tangents and a sprinkling of snark. Want to get in touch? Use the CONTACT form at the top of the page.
May 5, 2009
>This morning, like too many other mornings lately, my husband and I got up extra early, woke the kids, put everyone in the car, and headed for the airport. When we reached the terminal, Bruiser realized where we were and sat up straight in his carseat.
“Bye, Mommy!” he shouted, waving one chubby hand at me. “Bye, Mommy, bye!”
Hubs and I looked at each other and laughed.
I’ve been traveling a lot lately. Can you tell?
And Hubs has been great about it. He booked my flight so that I arrived early in San Francisco today and had plenty of time to unwind in my hotel room. He booked my return flight home so that I could sleep in before heading to the airport, even though it means a few extra hours of taking care of the kids solo for him.
Traveling across the country has been fun and a wonderful adventure, and I feel so much more confident now that I’m gaining experience in traveling solo and navigating new airports and finding shuttles and checking into hotels.
When I’m home, I look forward to the upcoming trips. I’ll get to sleep in! Order room service! Watch TV! Take long, hot showers! Sleep alone in a big bed! Be responsible for myself, and only myself! And the work is fun and easy, and involves only adults! What a novelty! What a luxury!
But now that I’m here, clear across the country from my family, I find that my heart longs for them. I stand at my window and look out over the beautiful San Francisco Bay and want nothing more to be home with them, cooking dinner and refereeing silly arguments and giving hugs and kisses and wishing for a moment to myself.
Now that I have silence and privacy and time, I don’t know what to do with it.
My career dreams are coming true. I have an exciting job doing what I love, with new surprises and opportunities and fabulous perks (like traveling) coming my way almost every day. If I could have seen four years ago where I’d be today, I would have been beside myself with excitement.
But now that I’m here in the moment, I’m surprised to find that the job I love most of all is being my kids’ mom. And I mean the JOB part of what that entails- the cooking and the cleaning up and the teaching and the playing and the snuggling and the singing. Despite all the drudgery that comes with being a mother, it is by far the most fulfilling thing I do. It is so much more fulfilling than being in the newspaper, or writing this blog or hosting a webcast or going to Disney World for free. Ten years from now, I may barely remember these things. But my work with my children will last forever.
Funny how it takes being 2,000 miles away to remember that.
This post originally appeared on Parents.com.
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