Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it. ~Cesare Pavese
My husband was originally scheduled to be working close to home all this week, but just a few minutes ago, he called to say plans had changed. He will be flying out tomorrow to work in northern Ohio. This means that the Princess and I will be on the road for two hours tomorrow also, for the drive to and from the airport, and we will do it again on Friday, which will probably result in more than two hours with traffic or a very late night depending on the arrival time.It is difficult to remember that I used to be the type of girl who had to know plans way in advance. I have had to bend, really bend, with my husband's field and its unpredictability. I often say that I have become a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl, but really the only one who gets to do the flying is my husband.
A few weeks ago, probably at the height of my winter cabin fever with the first signs of spring in display, I came to terms with the realization of how much I can envy his ability to leave while I stay home being thrifty and frugal, making all the meals (those who know me have heard that I dislike cooking every day), and doing extra chores.
I know he is traveling to work. I know he works more hours than most would or should. I know that sometimes his luggage arrives days after he does, or tools are missing from his tool case, or he sits at the airport for hours because of flight cancellations or delays. I know that he does not like all aspects of it. I know that he misses his daughter and me, as we do him.
Still, there are some aspects that he likes also. Who wouldn't like some of them? He gets to be served for his meals choosing where and what to eat. If he does not feel like going out to eat, he can call for room service. He does not have to make his bed or clean up the bathroom or take out the garbage. He does have to pack and unpack and pack again. He does have to deal with a burned-out wife over the phone now and then, too.
Yet, to just have only the essentials for a little while and be transported to different surroundings sounds so appealing to me now and then. In truth, I probably idealize it too much.
It would be nice to have some outing to plan for tomorrow for the Princess, since I will have the van, but it is supposed to be rainy from tonight until Sunday, so I doubt if we will be taking advantage of it. After the last few years of drought, it is nice to have nearly normal amounts of rainfall. Besides I have plenty of indoor projects to do and there are ways to sprinkle some fun in with them.
My Lord, please keep my husband safe and may he have no troubles on this trip. Please give me peace and guidance while we are apart from each other and I am missing him.
