Away We Go

Last weekend I indulged myself (or, more accurately, I was indulged by my husband) with a 36 hour solo trip to NYC. I left at 4 am Saturday morning, drove nine miles over the speed limit the entire way, and was having breakfast in Brooklyn by 10 am (this included a one hour delay when I had to backtrack to Hooksett and retrieve mywallet from the near-dead car that I had dropped off at the mechanic). The hours were filled by conversations with great friends (Erin, Saryn, Chris, Jessi), a great yoga class, browsing great thrift store racks for summer dresses, great sangria and tapas and live flamenco in the East Village, and glasses of wine that cost more than the summer dresses. I was home before dinner on Sunday, hours before Peter and the kids who were busy living it up in Wolfboro with the Hipples. A day at the beach, ice cream, pizza dinner. Jasper biked two miles BY HIMSELF all the way to the ice cream stand.

I find myself reveling in the increased independence of my children. I feel like I can leave them for a day or two and be merely missed (and not longed for). Peter is now, after over six months of primary parenthood, an equal partner in caregiving. I trust his systems and coping mechanisms when I am gone (meaning, I don't feel like my absence is too much of a burden), and the children trust that I will return in one piece sooner or later. It's a revolution. I get to test these sentiments again next week when Antonia indulges me with a two day retreat at Kripalu Yoga Center. Oh, what I have I done to deserve such riches?!