rudderless

Traveling

A few observations about our trip to Atlanta:
- I took my first flight, alone, with two awake children, and we all survived! That’s something I’ve been looking forward to for almost two years (and I can’t remember a flight pre-Rosy that Sophie was awake for the entire time). We didn’t even employ electronic entertainment. There was coloring, snacking, stirring of ice cubes, lots of “another PLANE!!!” at high volume as we taxied through airports (sorry, fellow passengers, but I’ll take it anyday over crying babies). I should do the math, but Sophie has flown more miles in 4 years than most adults have in their lifetimes. She’s awesome.

-As your kids get older, the travel challenges don’t go away, they just become different. On our way home, we stopped in the airport and got lunch, then set up a picnic by the departing gate. As soon as we’d sat down and started eating, Rosy says, “I gotta go pee!” On the plane, we’d just been served our pretzels and drinks- all three balanced on Sophie’s fold down tray. Rosy’s asleep. What do you think happens? Yep. “Mommy, I need to use the bathroom.” I joke with John that I spend an inordinate amount of time in public restrooms. On the plane, we were jammed so tightly that I had to hold Sophie in my arms while Rosy went. Ridiculous. Somehow they always manage to save the most involved bathroom trips for the grossest public places. Park bathrooms in Key West where there are signs like, “No washing clothes in sinks.” Random IHOP and Circle K locations (gross gross gross). The words, “I’m all done” will forever be etched in my mind. Don’t get me wrong, I am enormously appreciative of my two potty-trained kids. But wow, the fun never stops, eh?

-This was the first trip home I’ve ever taken that didn’t involve seeing my grandparents. Our time felt different- unstructured somehow, the days felt longer. I couldn’t my finger on what was different until I thought on it for a few days. That’s what was missing. The trips to Columbus, the daily rendezvous with my grandmother in Atlanta. More time and fewer people. It was truly a milestone. I took the girls to see their grandparents. They didn’t take me to see mine.

And so we are back in our floating home, slowly making our way through the to-do list before we can shove off to less-summerly ports. Boy is it hot here already.