Outer Journey
There is so much to do to prepare for a trip for seven days,
especially when you are a mom of 4 boys! My brain has been going a million
miles a minute. On the inside, my heart
is already hurting from missing my boys and husband. I try to remind myself that distance makes
the heart grow fonder. Right? So, being the type A person that I am, I started
by making lists. I mean, who doesn’t
like checking stuff off lists?? My lists
consisted of what to pack, what to buy, and what to do before leaving. Being a girl and being an over preparer (is that a word),
means over packing. Trying to think of
everything I could possibly need was the goal when making these lists, keeping
in mind that I probably should not take too many bags. What will I want on the train? Do I have enough socks and underwear to last
the entire trip? Does the hotel have a fitness
center? What will the temperature be
there? Should I pack a coat? I mean……my mind was racing! So, I researched the hotel and found out there
is a fitness center. Score. I looked at the weather and quickly realized that
although it will be warmer than it is in Illinois, I will still need to pack
warmer clothes and be prepared for wet weather.
I also reminded myself, that if I need something like underwear, I mean,
I can find a Walmart, right?? I rearranged
babysitting for my boys, making sure that my husband will be able to go to work like
normal. I checked and rechecked to make
sure everyone knew the schedule. I printed
out said schedule and added the phone number of the hotel where I would be staying. Overkill??
I am a mom remember? I have borrowed
as much as I can from my mom, such as luggage, bags, shoes, clothes, and jackets. Benefits of having a cool mom! Phew.
What else is there to do? I should
probably be sure the house is stocked with groceries, so my husband does not have
to go grocery shopping while I am gone. I mean let’s be real,
men and women are different creatures.
My kids can’t live on Ramen noodles.
I also need to be sure there are enough diapers and wipes for my two-year-old,
because we don’t want to run out of those!
Do my animals have enough food until I get back? Now back to preparing myself. I watched the train videos to see exactly what
I am getting myself into. I can totally
do this, with the help of some Dramamine.
I read all the required texts and tried to figure out this whole blogger
thing. That is a whole other story. I mean I’m only 35, how can I be this technologically
challenged? Overall, I think I am as
ready as I can be. I know there will be
things I forgot to do or pack, but that’s OK.
If my kids and husband are taken care of and we have a safe, educational,
and fun trip, that is all that matters.
The start of chaos.
Inner Journey
So many feelings and emotions going through me when I think
about this trip. I look at my boys and
the thought of being away from them for seven days, makes me want to cry. Not being able to give them kisses and hugs good
night. Knowing I will worry about them
constantly. What if I have an anxiety
attack and I don’t have my husband to calm me down? Can I do this? I try to stay focused on the positive. I am going to be with my best friends. I get to see and experience so many amazing
things in New Orleans. Food. Architecture. Culture.
People. The list is endless. The best part, is this counts for a class that
I need. How cool is that? I hope this trip opens my eyes to the world
outside of Central Illinois. Ha!! I chose this course for a few different
reasons. One, I needed an upper gen
ed. Two, my best friend wanted to
go. Three, I have never been to New Orleans,
and to be honest may never get another chance to go to New Orleans. I have not done a lot of traveling, mainly because
of the financial aspect of traveling, so this was a win-win for me. As I work on projects for this class, I question
my choice of taking a class over my break.
Who would do this? I am frustrated
that there is more time away from my family to do this work before I am leaving
for an entire week. I don’t even know
how to blog. What am I doing? My pity party is quickly over. I mean, I get to go to New Orleans! Who gets to do that for school? I am not sure what to expect. I imagine a lot of food, walking, amazing
buildings, all kinds of different people, and blogging….a lot of blogging. I am sure that being with the same group of people
day in and day out will be interesting. I
am not a huge fan of hotels, so I pray that I sleep well. I sometimes get car sick, so I am not sure
how the train ride will be. I can easily
worry myself sick, so I have been trying to think of all the positives and remain
excited and optimistic. I am sure that
we will be busy enough that I will not even have much time to think too much. For the last few days at home, I will soak up
some time with my babies and study their sweet faces. I will get as many snuggles, hugs, and kisses as
I can, and enjoy being at home where I am most comfortable. Sometimes being away from home, reminds you
what you love about your home even if it isn’t your dream home. A home is where your family is. A home is where memories are made and where
you go to feel safe and always welcome. Going
to a new state with a group of people, some of which you do not know, is scary. Here goes nothing!
My entire world right here in these two pictures.
