We’re going on vacation. We leave tomorrow morning. I couldn’t be more anxious about this trip… for all the wrong reasons.
A ten hour road trip with a toddler is reason enough for anxiety, but in my mind, that’s the easy part. The actual travel is the portion where my spirited and active toddler is harnessed in safety. In the car, I know what to expect. I expect crying, I expect screaming, I expect tantrums – and while I hardly embrace those things as the epitome of vacation, I can handle them.
What I can’t handle is what lies at the end of that journey, the completely unknown five bedroom house we’re sharing with 15 other people for six days. Don’t get me wrong, I love the people we are traveling with. They are family (by marriage) and I’m so thankful that we are all able to get away together and create memories. These are trips that allow my son to really bond with his cousins. These are the moments he will look back upon fondly as he gets older and these are the adventures that will surely be retold around the Thanksgiving table for years to come. I wouldn’t trade this trip for anything. But still, I’m anxious.
You see, I’ve always been a worrier. Just ask my mother (or any of my friends). But since I’ve had a child, things have progressed to a whole new level. A child creates a whole new list of things that can go wrong. Maybe it’s because he’s my first. Maybe it’s because he will be my only. Maybe it’s because I’m a neurotic basket case that should be heavily medicated. Regardless, the momxiety is real.
Take this trip for example – it’s a brand new place for him to explore (yay!) that probably hasn’t been baby proofed (boo!). There is the time he gets to spend with his cousins (yay!) but also the idea that as the youngest of the heard, he can’t (or shouldn’t) always do the things the bigger kids do (boo!). What results is a week of frantic chasing and constant watching to make sure he doesn’t slip out an unlocked (or left open) door, and always making sure that when my eyes aren’t on him, someone else’s are.
So what do I do to overcome this pit in my stomach? Good question – one I’m still working my way through as I gaze upon half-packed suitcases. And to be honest, I wish I had some sound advice to share, but I don’t. I’ve already tossed in some light baby proofing gear, I’ll probably pack extra baby tylenol and benedryl (just in case), and I’ll pray. I mean, what are my other options?
All in all, I know it will be a great trip, and that the majority of my worry will be in vain. The cousins will rally to entertain him and that the hubs and I may even get a little time to ourselves. We will have a great time and return with a renewed appreciation of our family. And when I look back on this trip I will remember all the good times and not all the time I spent worrying about what “might” have happened.
What gives you momxiety? How do you overcome it?