Traveling mom

With my new amazing job, I got the opportunity to travel to NYC this week. For a sheltered mid-western gal, this is a big deal. It's only my second trip ever to the city.

I desperately hate leaving the kids behind and always get a little weepy eyed when I call in to check on them. At the same time, I also love the taste of freedom that comes from traveling sans family. Part of me starts to feel bad about loving the freedom and the other part just gets giddy about not having to put anyone to bed for a solid three days.

In my free time this week, I have been able to enjoy things that I don't get to do during my normal life...

Bikram yoga: LOVE IT. Got up yesterday and went to a class at 6:30 a.m. That's right, ninety minutes of yoga in a 110 degree studio. It's amazing the energy I have when I wake up and don't have to chase around kids and dogs. I think about how in the world I would be able to incorporate this into my schedule and it's just not possible. Ninety minutes alone to do anything in my house is simply not an option.

Dinner in a nice restaurant: Bonus points with this one, conversation with a grown up that didn't involve talking about kids. Double bonus points: No one in the restaurant stared at us with the look of death because we weren't being too loud, throwing our food on the ground, spitting on each other, rubbing butter in our hair, going the bathroom every three minutes, etc.

Drinks at a piano bar following dinner: Granted we had Blossom (circa early 90's) as our waitress (complete with big hat and flower.) She kept telling us to be quiet and then at one point moved us to the back room so we could talk. And the kicker on this one, it turned out to be a gay piano bar. Somehow we didn't pick up on that little tid bit until the very end.

Point is, there were no commitments, no bed times, no cleaning up after someone and it was just nice. I feel horrible saying how much I enjoyed it, but I think sometimes you just need a break from being a parent.