Traveling alone yesterday was a first for me since Henry was born. I’ve left the kids before, but not without Jason or a friend. It was a strange feeling to be on my own. Good, but strange.

Light packing for a solo trip to Colorado.

I traveled without gear of any kind. I packed a purse and a small carry on for my things, and checked a second bag with things to leave behind in CO. No carseat, no stroller. No kid bags or coats or lovies or things to keep little ones busy on the plane. With the exception of this growing belly along for the ride, everything about my travel yesterday felt lightweight and simple.

I had mixed feelings about that.

The truth is, I love traveling with our kiddos. We’re not masters at it, necessarily, but I think we’ve gotten the routine down well enough in five years’ time. H & E love to fly, and they carry Jason’s and my thirst for adventure and new places. We make the most of time in the airport and save special treats for time on the plane. The airport is a wonder to them…baggage carts and refueling trucks, every last airplane out the window and moving sidewalks to enjoy.

This trip is bittersweet for me, because it marks a very wonderful season that will come to a close before long. Surely, another beautiful season is about to begin, but there’s something about the way things are in the here and now that I will also miss. Being alone with this growing baby in the airport reminded me again just how little time I’ve spent without Henry and Eloise in the past few years, and how little I’ve minded that that’s true. I have loved having our two, and I’m so grateful that Jason and I genuinely enjoy them as much as we do.

33 week along travel companion and I waiting to board our second flight. The bump is just about as big as my carry on, but they didn’t charge me extra. 😉

Although it felt strange not having anyone else along yesterday morning, I realized how necessary it is for me to have some space where I’m without the kids and off doing something on my own…this past day and a half have been a good exercise for me in breaking away, as hard as it is for me to do. I hesitated to leave home, yes. Still, I’m so happy to be here. I’ll have missed our babes this weekend and it will be a sweet reunion to be back with them on Monday.

Soon we’ll be traveling with three littles when we venture away from home, and I won’t be without all of the extra gear that comes with babies. I’ll make the most of this–my last lightweight jaunt for a while, but I will be so happy to have our co-travelers along again on our next adventure, replete with extra bags and baby things, the stroller, a diaper bag and all the rest.

only a one suitcase wonder for a teensy bit longer,

mm