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Day 12

2018 July 30
by WWGD

At the beginning of 2018, I made myself a promise that I would write every day.

Some bits would be published here and there.

Some would just be for me.

Some would be mindless ramblings…as long as it was writing, it would count.

I made it 11 days.

I don’t like to think of myself as a quitter. I have givenĀ a lot of thought to my writing this year. I have spent a lot of time reading other great writers this year. I have started a lot of great passages in my head and never put them down on paper this year.

I didn’t quite quit…I just didn’t see my commitment through the way I had hoped. But I like to think of myself as a procrastinator over a quitter any day. I won’t quit. I am just struggling with adopting the habit. Or any habit, when it comes down to it. I like to start and then…pause.

The good news? It’s only July (well, basically August). I can use today as day one all over again. Or I can call it day 12. It’s mine to define, however I choose to.

So for today, here is a little writing. It’s not profound, I assure you. It’s just a quick check in. A hello. A promise (for both of us) to be back sooner than later…

Here is day 12.

We are going to Europe next week and taking the kids for the first time. We will be doing London, Paris and my home country of Romania over 17 days. It is the first time I will be in Romania since we defected when I was three. The first time I will be seeing my cousin and other family in almost 40 years. The first time I will be there with my parents. And possibly the last. To say I am going into it with a lot on my mind is an understatement. It’s also extremely difficult to truly log off when you run your own business, which has me a little overwhelmed, but I am very focused on trying to soak up the experience and remember that in 20 years, it will be this trip that matters and not what was left unattended in my inbox for a day or two.

I will be sharing bits and pieces from our trip on my new Instagram – Never Leaving – which is a curated guide to hotels and travel favorites for modern-day families like mine, who appreciate design, service and a little luxury…but want it in an environment that keeps our kids happy, too. I know these spots exist so I am excited to share them with you there. If you have any suggestions of favorite spots that meet that criteria, send me a note there. I’ve shared our London hotel pick already and hopefully it’s as lovely as it seems.

We have had the kids (mostly) home this summer with the odd camp here and there. The goal was to let them have more unstructured down time this summer and to give our summer camp budget a little break in preparation for our Europe trip at the same time. The takeaway? It has been amazing and awful at the same time. We both work from home so it’s definitely a juggle trying to keep them out of our way while we work. Even at 11 and 7, kids still need a little guidance when it comes to empty time and space. But when it all comes together in a delicate balancing act, it’s great. I love to have them around, I love to watch them explore new hobbies and pursue favorite ones in more depth, I love to go on impromptu ice cream trips and outings when I am in between busy days at work. It is harder than I ever imagined to schedule meet ups with friends during the summer due to travel and camp schedules, etc. but they’re also learning how to find new friends in the neighborhood and spend alone time together as siblings and yes, even walk the dog for fun. I don’t think it was the easiest approach to summer break for two working parents, but it’s one I will probably stick to. The good outweighed the bad and I know these precious summers with my sweaty, little non-stop baseball machine and my lanky, late sleeping tween won’t be around forever.

So I am going to soak them up.

It’s a promise I am making myself.

And hopefully, I will see it through.

Have a great Monday. x

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3 Responses
  1. August 2, 2018

    Enjoy your trip!!! I totally understand trying to take a break from summer camps and letting them be unstructured. Our boys have spent some time at their grandparents, having fun with their cousins and our daughter is in Amsterdam at a field hockey camp for goalies. I miss her terribly, but we had to save our money for that trip.

    This Saturday, our kids will all be home and I’m looking to soak up the moments before school starts the last Monday of August. I can’t wait!!!

  2. Becky Geddie permalink
    August 13, 2018

    LOVE your top! Do you mind sharing where you purchased it?

    • WWGD permalink*
      September 4, 2018

      Thank you! It’s actually a dress and I got it in Mexico.

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