Ah, vacation. The month of March was brutal for anyone in the education field in NJ. Stress levels were and continue to be very high this year so it was nice to have a break to recharge, relax, and forget about NJ for a few days.
This was a much needed vacation for my wife and I, but on top of that it was our first family trip with our little girl. Months ago, my wife and I decided we'd like to go to Florida during my spring break. This is a time of year where deals on airfare are few and far between and any money saved would have limited the number of days we could spend having fun in the sun. So, we decided against spending money on two expensive airline tickets and a rental car. Instead, while the baby and my wife took to the skies, I would be on the road heading south in the family car with all the luggage and supplies we would need for the week.
Let me tell you this, it was much harder than I expected. I was nervous how the baby would do on the plane. Would there be tears? Would she be in pain? Could she possibly throw a fit for the whole two hour flight? And how would this affect my wife? I was worried about all of this, but was secretly grateful I wouldn't have to experience myself. I thought I was home free...Boy was I wrong.
The 1000 mile trip was difficult in terms of driving. In fact I made awesome time on the way down, but it was very lonely. I didn't get to see my wife and daughter for 30hrs. This may not seem like a lot, but it is the longest I've been away from the two of them ever. And I missed them.
I didn't make the trip straight through. I stopped at a hotel in Georgia and barely slept...I couldn't wait to get out the door in the morning and finish that trek just so I could see them again.I met them at the airport when their plane landed and was relieved to see them both in good spirits. My wife, happy to be in the warmth of Florida, gave me a nice hug and my daughter (who seemed confused at my sudden appearance) gave me a little smile. It was a relief to see them both, I could finally start my relaxing vacation.
It was a great week and my 11month old daughter really seemed to enjoy her first vacation. It will certainly make us less nervous to try this again...I'm just not sure I can handle another long trip without them again.
4 comments:
Awww - that is so sweet! We were able to take a trip when our first daughter was about 9 months old, and thankfully we got a steal on our tickets, so we could all 3 travel together. My husband is the same way about being away from us for that amount of time. It's nice to know there are husbands & daddies who love their families so much... =)
Sweet post! That is such an interesting approach to vacation. My husband refuses to fly anymore and I hate to drive, so I may suggest this next time we go somewhere. Thanks!
That's a great idea for saving money. We are going to Disney World next year (we hope) and are planning on flying. I never thought of doing the split trip to save on airline and car rental. We will have to consider that as well.
Agree with Debbie and Jen, that is sweet. The first time I was away from my wife for more than a day our roles were reversed. I took the kids and she went solo. Then, the second time, it was like you experienced. I drove cross country while they waited for me. You want to drive faster, but you also want to get there alive :-)
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