When I was a young adult, I was fearless. Feeling excited and carefree were the only emotions I would experience when traveling anywhere. Now, in my early 40s and as a mother of three (and wife to one), my emotions are much different.
The day before my departure, and the day I left for my once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe without my family, I cried on and off all day. I knew how much I was going to miss my kids, husband, and my dog! Amid the last-minute packing details for my trip, I tried to embrace every moment with my family. Sadness wasn’t the only emotion; it was mixed with excitement for my epic adventures ahead and anxiety. “What if something bad happens while I’m gone? What if something happens to me?”
I was a mixed bag of emotions preparing for my journey.
I felt pretty down and emotionally drained during my flight to Charlotte and half of my flight to London. Then, halfway through the flight, it hit me: “This is actually real. I’m ACTUALLY going to Europe!” It was something I had always dreamed of, something many others never get the chance to do. I didn’t miss my family any less, but my somber mood quickly changed to one of excitement and gratitude.
My day in London was wonderful.
I met up with my friend who lives there and enjoyed a delightful high tea. We visited nearly every sight including the London and Tower Bridges, The National Gallery, and so much more. I learned a great deal about London’s history. It truly was a perfect day!
Having only slept about three hours on the airplane, I fell asleep fairly easily in my comfy hotel room. However, I woke up around 2:30am (London time) feeling anxious and desperately missing my husband, kids, and dog. Despite how chaotic things can be when traveling with the whole family, I feel more complete when they are with me, building these unique memories together.
The next day, I took the high-speed train to Paris.
Though a bit harder to navigate than London, overall Paris was a nice experience. I went on a bistronomic dinner cruise on the Seine River and the following day, I visited the beautiful Palace of Versailles. It was one of the most breathtaking experiences of my life, especially the immaculate gardens.
Yet again, that night I woke up missing my family. “It’s been fun, but I’m ready to be back home now,” I thought to myself at 3am. But then again, when the day came, I was busy with activities and felt happy and grateful to have this European experience.
The next day, I traveled to Krakow, Poland, and emotionally, things improved.
I settled into a routine, enjoying all that Krakow had to offer — its rich history, beautiful sights, and delicious food during the day — and FaceTiming with my husband and kids in the evening. I didn’t necessarily miss them any less, but had adapted to this new routine on my trip. My focus also shifted to preparing for the conference where I was presenting, the main objective of my journey to Poland.
Just as quickly as my journey to Europe began, it was time to come home. The journey back was even longer: a three-hour flight to Finland, followed by an eight-and-a-half-hour flight to JFK with an 11-hour layover. Despite being awake for almost 24 hours, I decided to head into Times Square. The next day, I had four hours of flights back.
