Flying Solo

I recently had the opportunity to go on a three day training in Atlanta. I don't live in Atlanta, so it was going to be a "fly over there and stay in a hotel kind" of trip. At first I got a bit worked up because of the logistics of leaving the two girls that I heart and the man that I love, with them. Not that he is incapable, quite the contrary, he is exceptionally capable. If he were in a performance appraisal, he would get (if it were a likert scale) all "VERY" and "EXCELLENT" and "EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS", etc.

Buuut, I am the one that "runs" the house and it's little nuances, so I had to make sure that he was left as prepared as possible. I went to Costco, the supermarket, made a couple of dinners, did the laundry, left the girls the clothes they would wear (including panties and socks) in their rooms, and made sure there were movies on our Netflix queue.

Left early that Wednesday morning to the airport. Thinking about Athena Blaze, her obsession with writing and spelling, and how her "show and tell" was on friday, and about Saylor and her sweet unicorn and how she was making the unicorn kiss everything and do everything she did. I thought about these two happy little girls. I also thought about how I was also going to miss my handsome, delicious husband. I would miss them terribly but I knew they would be beyond ok, and I was going to get some brain fodder at the training.

Ummm, can I tell you that it took me all of 8 min to forget all about the suckers?

I got on my cell phone on the ride to the airport and talked to a few friends and listened....without interruption to these friends that I hadn't been able to speak with for a long time. I listened to music in the car, very loudly. I had also left with plenty of time, so I wasn't rushing, or in traffic or anything. I was relaxed and on vacation even though I hadn't even gotten to the airport yet.

Got to the airport and bought a coffee, then decided to do something I hadn't done IN YEARS. I bought a book to READ on the plane. This concept was a legend, a mythical creature, something so forgotten and unfamiliar to me, I didn't even know how to go about it. Well folks...it's like riding a bicycle. Ya never forget. I got myself a girly, chick lit, pretty color covered book, a bottled water, some fresh fruit, chocolate, and nuts. Yes, I spent $25 at the airport.

But wait...there's more....

I had a purse. A real. live. purse. It's contents were not suitable for Monty Hall's Let's Make a Deal like it usually is. It was a regular, boring, purse. I carried only this purse. And as I looked at my snacks, that did not resemble goldfish, fruit bars, or a juice box, I smiled from ear to ear.

I sat in the emergency row, b/c I did not have a baby in tow and could help the plane out in a pinch. I did however have to think of the baby once again when I looked over at the plane door and saw that it weighed 31 lbs. I thought, "my saylor weighs about that much, so I'll be fine". The flight attendent mentioned something about delays and detouring teh plane due to weather. I shrugged my shoulders and thought, "meh, who cares....at least I don't have to think about entertaining two girls while all of this is happening".

The trip just continued to go on like this. I ate when I wanted to. I showered when and how I wanted to. I could focus on one thing at a time. Conversations.....were complete. There was a true dialogue. It felt...so....easy. I remember thinking to myself that I couldn't believe how I used to live like this. All for me. It was really great. I truly savored those three days as my last meal on the Green Mile.

But as my trip.....plane ride back (in an exit row I might add).....and drive home came to an end, I realized that I was thrilled to be back home, ecstatic to see/smell/hear/touch my girls again, couldn't wait to be caught up to speed on the "doings" and

and that I would sign up for trainings every 6 months :)