In just a few short hours, a big piece of my heart will get on a plane and fly 4,500 miles away. She will visit beautiful and captivating cities known for their rich history, beautiful architecture, art museums, fashion, food, and stunning landmarks. She will experience the beauty of other languages and cultures. She will fall in love with traveling and all the world has to offer. She’s off to Paris, Caen, and Rome — the trip of a lifetime! Which is great, but what can I offer her when she returns? A trip to Target? Stunning views of EPCOT?
It will also be her first big trip away without me. Her mom. Who will anxiously check flight statuses to make sure she has arrived safely at her destinations. Who will be nervously waiting for text messages about her whereabouts. Who will smile when she receives selfies taken in front of iconic settings. Who will spend a large amount of the 9 days (that’s 216 hours) of her time worrying.
For no reason.
And all the reasons.
For starters, here are a few reasons why I worry:
- Luggage: Do you suffer from packing more items than you need or can reasonably carry for the duration of your journey? Have you had to pay excessive baggage fees because you have exceeded travel weight limits? Has Dr. Now from ‘My 600-Pound Life’ popped out from behind the baggage counter and told you, “You need to lose turdy (30) pounds!” Yes, over-packing may be a concern as I’m afraid my daughter’s Floridian blood will not be adequately prepared for the cold weather they are predicting overseas and hence, make packing a bit more challenging in general when “layers” are in season.
- Oversleeping: An angry cat can be described the same way I describe waking my teenage daughter: “It is important to give an angry cat space and avoid provoking it further. If you need to handle an angry cat, it’s best to wear protective clothing and approach it slowly and calmly to avoid escalating the situation.” When my daughter sleeps, she makes waking the dead seem like an easy task. I can only hope her best friend is able to tackle this daily challenge, so she doesn’t spend the entire trip sleeping through it.
- Worldly Events: I purposely haven’t watched the nightly news for two weeks leading up to the trip as there is always something going on to cause a person to worry. Two days before departure, the teacher sent an email saying they were, “Watching the protests in Paris and will adjust plans as necessary.” Protests?! What protests?! Yes, according to news outlets, the French are angry. But, as her teacher stated, “It’s cold out. The French will go home.” We can only hope!
But all kidding aside, you hear it all the time from other parents about the first time the baby bird leaves the nest and this time, the baby bird is flying countries away without me. I’d be lying if I didn’t say it isn’t hitting my heart like a ton of bricks. This feeling and loss of control that comes as your child steps out into the world on their own and experiences all the amazing things life has to offer. A trip that forces everyone out of their comfort zone.
But underneath all that worry is the other side to me. The one that is so incredibly happy that she is heading off for her first adventure. As she merges from a child into a young adult, I understand she needs this life experience to go with her. She will experience independence and problem-solving skills that only times like these will give her. She needs to feel humbled and understand that the world beyond is a big place and we only know a tiny fraction about it. She needs to appreciate and experience different points of view. You will always want the best for your child and loved ones and letting them go experience these life moments will help mold them into a better person. These are the moments I can’t teach her.
She’s already blooming every day. I see it. I feel it.
She will be back in nine days and what will feel like an eternity to her parents, is really just another blink of the eye in the overall life of a parent.
She will have had a great time.
She will want to do it all over again.
Her world will have expanded a little bit in all the right ways.
She will keep blooming right before my eyes.
And damn, will I be proud.