To the ones left behind...
Thank you!
I’m lucky to travel frequently for work.
Over the last 10 days I was in the UK and Latvia, attending an annual conference.
Co-incidentally (so the family WhatsApp tells me), I wasn’t the only traveller.
My sister was away, leaving my brother-in-law with 3 kids.
My other sister was the one at home, as her husband - my other brother-in-law - was away for work as well.
The best part about travelling for work is the first step on the plane. You sit in your seat and you realise the only person you have to think about is yourself.
No cooking, no cleaning, no shopping, no ‘did you remember to pack…’, no arguments over who’s turn it is to do the dishwasher.
No worrying, no fretting, no waking up at 3am remembering something you have to remind someone to pack…
No hurrying, no waiting, no snapping, no fighting, no debating, no discussing, no synchronising, no organising.
None of it.
So to the stay-at-homers, I simply say thank you.
In my house Suze has had to carry the load (physically, mentally, emotionally) for 10 days and then either side of it as I prepared myself to go, and then re-entered the family slipstream when I got back.
I know that going away for work can be tiring (I stayed up until 3am one night… no not partying… making last minute tweaks to the next morning’s presentation for which I had to be on site for at 7am), but those keyboard heroics are nothing compared to have to carry 3 when you’re used to having someone by your side.
So if you’re a weary returning traveller - remember - you got the good end of the deal.
To those who are left behind, we couldn’t do it without you.
