It must be the weather. We're supposed to hit a high of 27°C tomorrow! Ah, summer.
Ken doesn't seem to be feeling the urge to plan holidays the way I am, but that could have something to do with the 11 days he's spending in the middle east (the Middle East) at the end of May, followed by his biking trip to Moab with Steven at the beginning of June, and then a little further off is the Interbike Show in Vegas in September. He and I live very different lives for people who live together.
Back to summer holidays. There's Steven's usual football season keeping us home in August (how did 2 years in a row, this will be the 3rd, make something usual?), and now something new (the new usual I'm afraid) of Jaclyn holding down a full-time summer job. I blogged about this, right? Or did Jaclyn just Facebook about it? She's working in the Chem Lab for Ken's company.
So it's not so easy to book time away as a family. It has been suggested to me that Ken and I could just take the younger 2 or 3 children away and leave Jaclyn behind, but I have a really hard time leaving my children. (More about that later.) What I'm looking at, then, is weekends. And the weekend I have my eye on is the August long weekend (it's a Canada thing - can't have a month without a statutory holiday). Jaclyn will get off at noon on the Friday, and not be expected back at work till Tuesday morning - the same Tuesday football starts. It's our only chance, so I'm grabbing it. I've booked a condo in Whistler, BC for the weekend and I'm just hanging on, and basically living for, July 30th.
Now, about leaving the kids. We've done it a few times, the longest trip was 10 days (I started missing the kids around day 7). But our 20th Wedding Anniversary is coming up at the end of this year, and I want a little more than dinner out. I want to reclaim Ken as mine, which basically means taking him away from the kids who think he is theirs.
I came up with a plan a few months ago: I want to go on a bike tour in some Mediterranean-European country. I haven't been a biker, but Ken is, and I'm willing to learn (especially for a trip to Italy). I proposed the idea to Ken and he asked, "Are you willing to put an ocean between you and your children?" I was a little surprised myself that I could answer, "For this, yes."
A month ago I went on my first road ride with friends:
I was weak, it was simultaneously miserable and fun, but better than whatever I would have spent that morning doing (cleaning house, what else?).
That ride was followed by a month of terrible weather, which allowed me to heal from my wicked road rash on my elbow from falling over while still clipped in to my pedals.
Finally, last Friday, I got the chance to road ride with Ken. Once again, I was weak, but this summer is all about seeing if I can get strong enough on a bike to make a vacation of it. (Eliminate the miserable completely, that's the real goal.)
At this point there are still some barriers to my big 20th Anniversary Trip idea. Ken doesn't want to go on a 'pleasure ride' (his words, though he has since recanted), and that darn volcano in Iceland making the ocean that could potentially be between me and my kids seem that much larger.
6 comments:
I remember a few years ago when Mike went on a business trip to Kuwait you said it was Ken's dream to get a business trip like that. And now?
This summer, no vacation for my family because I can't leave one behind and no time in between activities. I hear ya. But a biking trip in Europe would very much make up for that I think! Sounds awesome!
I could be persuaded to get into biking if it meant a trip to Italy!
Ken is going to the middle East for work? That seems so much like a television life. "Oh, my executive husband has a meeting overseas. He needs to be in Egypt by Tuesday." I'm giggling just typing it.
Whistler and Italy, both great vacations! There is a little bakery in Whistler that makes the best chocolate croissants (pain au chocolat), second to those in France. So good, you must have one... or two!
Italy is beautiful and I'm sure would be stunning on bike as well. I hope you get your wish!
It's crazy how busy the summer is when it hasn't even started yet! All these pesky obligations and schedules.
I think you are super generous to turn your 20th anniversary Europe trip into a biking trip! I'd be all about strolling the European streets hand in hand and helmetless!
Go for the kidless trip! How fun!
It's our 17th anniversary this year, and we are heading to Montana...just by coincidence it's around the same time.
Whistler and Italy sound amazing! I love that he knows you well enough to ask if you were willing to put an ocean between you and your kids.
For a trip to Italy, I would definitely say yes!
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