Jet Lagged Mama

I'm back from my vacation without the kid! One of my goals from last year has been accomplished. While my body is here, I'm not sure exactly what time zone I'm living in - still a little jet lagged, but it's ok.

It was all worth it, but also, I think anyone who has ever lived with a newborn is able to deal with jet lag. Any stretch of 3-4 hours sleep leaves me functional. lol

While I was away, we used Face Time and Skype to keep in touch - often I was able to see him morning and night and we blew kisses to each other.

Hubby did really well also. Night 5, the Little Man had a nightmare. He did the same thing last time I went away. Then he got a cold (again! urgh!). Because of the threats of nuclear war on South Korea, I decided to skip my visit there and just come back home two days early. My sick baby needed me.

I had gone with the idea in my head in the first place that if I wasn't happy, I could always come back. I think that's an important concept to keep in mind - nothing is permanent; flights can always be changed, plans can always be changed. Go and try it out and if you don't like it, come back and at least you tried!

I tried to surprise them with my earlier arrival, but I ended up arriving in Montreal later than anticipated and I didn't have my key to the house. Surprise or not, it was still nice to be home. I was happy to see them. And the extra days off of work gave me time to clean the house because it was a mess when I got back!

Travel Without Kids

In less than a month I will be in China. From there, I head to Japan and then South Korea. I'm going alone, as I like being a solo woman traveler, but also I don't think it makes sense to drag my son along with me. That doesn't stop a lot of people asking me why.

First off, mostly people without kids ask me why I'm not taking my three-year-old on a 13-hour flight. I'm sure there are some special three-year-olds out there who wouldn't drive anyone insane on a 13-hour flight, but my child is not one of them. I don't think it's fair to him to do such a thing. Not only that, but why would I want to subject him to a 13-hour time change as well?

He's three. He's not going to remember this trip and be able to appreciate it or look back on it fondly. He craves routine, so why would I want to disrupt all that, jumping from hotel to hotel every night?

And how can I guarantee I will be able to find peanut butter and emergency bananas?

Why subject him to possibly unsanitary conditions?

What if I lost him in a foreign country?

The list could go on!

from GoGoBabyz.com

The fact is, this is MY trip, MY dream, MY vacation. If someone doesn't share your dream, there is no point in dragging them around with you. It makes no difference if that someone is your lover, your best friend or your child. It will only make everyone resentful.

My whole life is about my son. I work for him, I live for him. I even travel away from him so I can come back refreshed.

When he is old enough, we can talk about his dreams and we can try to make them happen. But right now, let me live mine.