On the road again

I haven't posted for a while because I've been very busy getting ready to leave for the States. We leave in two days and there are lots of last minute details to be taken care of. I say "we" leave but actually only the boys and I are going this year. Much to Francesco's dismay . . . We will be gone for five weeks and he has been missing us since I started talking about the trip last January!

This whole "going on vacation without Dad" issue is quite a loaded one among my ex-pat woman friends here. There are those of us who leave with the kids as soon as school is out and come back in September. Others go ahead for a few weeks with the kids, then the husband joins them in the States for a while and they return together (which is what we have always done so far). Others only go in the company of their partner.

It seems obvious that the best thing to do would be to all travel together, but there are various issues to be considered . . . like that most of us are teachers and have the whole summer off while our husbands don't. Or the fact that we would like our kids to have more than just a passing acquaintance with OUR country and culture . . . which is something that takes time. You can't get a feel for the US in just two weeks.

Anyway, it makes leaving somewhat bittersweet to leave behind someone who is sad about your departure.