Sick and Traveling

In terms of preparing for this trip, we certainly had our work cut out for us. Any time you travel across the Atlantic with kids, it presents all sorts of challenges that are daunting enough to discourage even the most adventurous soul. I completely understand why people prefer to stay at home, and even I at times need a little prodding to make it out the door. Thankfully, we have R, who is in the intrepid traveler, and I say this because all of our trips are memorable, we always have a great time, and we come back with the best memories and experiences. However, even in light of these positives, I still find it hard to motivate.

This trip was no different. There is so much to be dealt with on the home front, I could find a million reasons to stay at home. I need to transport, split and stack the firewood, I need to deal with the barn, I need to arrange school things, I need to arrange our propane delivery, etc. We were also all dealing with colds, some more than others, and there were logistical issues to cover before we left. We had to ask for help from several of our friends to make this trip work, including cat care, getting rides to and from the bus station, finding a cell phone to use in Europe (most cell phone plans in the US won’t work here), and finally, the hardest part, planning the itinerary in Europe. The last one is where R really flourishes, she really thrives in planning and getting excited about travel.

Either way, everything worked out beautifully. I have to get over feeling like a burdern and a nuisance, because friends want to help out where they can. I know I do, and for whatever reason, I can’t project that feeling onto other people. People like to do nice things for you, just like you like to do nice things for other people. That’s what makes the world a great place to live.

Anyway, just a thought on overcoming challenges when traveling. The reality is, nothing is that insurmountable, so you just have to go for it.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to allison.johnston for the pic.