Why is it so difficult to go on vacation? I mean I have worked hard to earn it, don’t I deserve that break? However, it’s painful at times to plan to go on vacation and the mountain of work that awaits you when you return. I mean think about it – on the work front you need to make sure all your open items are taken care of, if not you have assigned them to someone and then have to make sure they are fully read into it. More so, you have assigned a second in command to take over while you are gone so nothing slips while you are out. Even after doing all that, you are so petrified that something will (slip that is) that you make sure you stay on top of your emails and the ongoings in the office. I mean the stress all this puts you through, you sometime wonder if it really was worth it to leave the office in the first place.
Now the home is another beast all together, to maximize the measly time you actually get to take off, you leave right after the work day so everything has to be done in a hurry the prior night. Usually, just before we go on vacation my bedroom looks like a bomb has gone off with laundry everywhere. If it’s not clothes I need to put in the washer its clothes that have just come out of it. I am tripping over the clothes all over the place. A shirt here to a skirt there. Amidst this sea of fabric, I yet can't find what I want to wear over the nine days!
My husband yells out to me from somewhere in the house “make sure the kids have clothes for all the outings honey.”
Crap, I completely forgot - I am a mom!
“N make sure you don’t carry only skimpy clothes, it’s going to be cold out there. Also, please don't over pack we are going only for 9 days not moving in.” While to the other one “O make sure you carry enough clothes please I don’t want to see you in the same t-shirt and tights 9 days in a row!”
Ok, mom job done, back to my packing. Just as I am getting started.....
N walks into my room “So I’ve picked out these 15 dresses, do you think that’s going to be enough?” 15!!!! “Why don’t you bring them over honey, let’s take a look at them.”
I love how my 17 year old yet comes to take my opinion on the clothes she is packing. Towards the end she will do exactly what she wants to do but we go through all the motions. I think it is yet the old habit from her childhood days. Something I hold onto dearly even today.
She brings over her pile of clothes and drops them on my bed.
I go through them with my mom eyes – “Too long, too short, too flimsy, too whimsical, too everything…….” I push them all aside.
“Mom, you’ve rejected all my outfits! That’s it I am carrying only sweatshirts and sweatpants.
“But you can’t live in sweats honey!”
She looks at me like I’ve grown two horns, picks up her dresses and walks out of the room.
“That went well” I think to myself and shrug it off. "Oh well, they will make their way to her bag anyways." Hopefully.....
In comes O. “Mom, I can’t find my favorite t-shirt can you please help me?”
“Honey, why don’t you choose another t-shirt.”
“But that’s my favorite!” she all but screams at me.
“Well, find a new favorite.” I look at her meaning business.
Those doe eyes well up and I melt. "Coming honey....."
45 minutes later we have turned her entire room upside down and then she remembers "I think I had put in the laundry hamper so it must be in the wash."
I just stare at her for all of 30 seconds and calmly state the obvious "Ok why don't you pick out everything else and once the dryer is done your t-shirt will be ready."
"I don't know what else to pack." comes the reply and before it is followed by "can you help me" I quickly respond "Clothes!" and rush out of the room.
Back in my room I try to pick up where I left off and my husband screams "Dinner is ready and it's getting cold."
For the umpteenth time my clothes are set aside as I head down to dinner. Dinner out of the way, we start wrapping up the kitchen, clean out the fridge, pack all vegetables that will get spoilt over the week and clean out the living room and kitchen. By that time I'm ready to hit the sack - so I take out a few minutes to watch my favorite show, my way of winding down. Snoozing in front of the TV I finally make it up to the bedroom, packing be damned I think to myself as I all but drag myself to bed.
The next day morning is a flurry of activity as some emails need to be sent, office calls that need to be attended to, a meeting that was scheduled needs to be taken (that person who thought it was a good idea to schedule a meeting on the morning that I was leaving needs to be taken to task), project close outs that were planned had some how slipped and now I am frantically trying to send out that last email to finally make it to the door.
My husband walks into the room at 11;00 AM. "Honey we leave in 1 hour please close your bags and leave them by the front door, the uber's been scheduled."
Bags...crap bags the ones that have not been packed. I rush into my room frantically looking left and right trying to figure out which way is up! The red dress is lying in front of me. I quickly shove it in the bag.
"But it's too tight", I think to myself. Oh well, it's better than not having anything to wear"
All this thinking is taking too long I take the first 10 outfits I can get my hands on shove them in the bag and leave it by the door for my husband.
Just as I go back to my desk to finish firing off my 100th last email, I recall I forgot to add my toothbrush. I rush up to my bag add my toothbrush and go back to my seat. I get on the phone with a colleague who wishes me a safe flight and then asks to be excused as she has to go grab her phone charger.
Mental face palm - I forgot to pack the damn phone charger. Leaving her hanging I rush up to my room run/stumble bring the phone charger down and shove it into my bag. Charger out of the way I quickly say my goodbyes and hang up on her.
"The uber is here" shouts my husband. I quickly shut down and we all pile into the car.
Just as the driver is loading the vehicle I do another face palm - forgot to turn on my out of office. I rush back to my desk turn on my computer and put on my out of office.
At this stage now my husband is about ready to drive off without me as everyone sits in the car waiting for me to finish.
For the umpteenth time today I rush back to my brood trying to catch my breath as my daughter states to no one in particular - "now that was relaxing!"
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