The Travelling Husband/Dad

I know I don't put very many entries in this blog and if you haven't checked, this is Brian posting. I also understand most of the readers of this blog are Mandie's friends and family, so you'll have to forgive me if this entry seems way out from what you're used to.

I usually don't mind travelling and Mandie seems to have gotten used to it (or so she tells me). This week was a little difficult and I'll try to explain without getting too personal.

While Mandie may be used to me being out of town, I know she doesn't like it. I hate saying goodbye because I know how much I'm going to miss being home, seeing the children, and giving Mandie hugs everyday.

I left for the office Monday morning a little later than usual because I wanted to say goodbye to the kids after they woke up. Abby is still trying to figure how to let people leave the house without getting offended, so when I left, I could hear her cry after I closed the door. I know it's only temporary, but it still breaks my heart a little. So that's one reason I don't like travel.

Then I left the office in the afternoon to get to the airport a little early because I was planning on grabbing a very late lunch on the way and doing some additional work in the airport terminal. Instead of an hour of waiting for departure, I ended up waiting for three hours (!) because our pilot was delayed in another town due to weather. So instead of getting into town at a decent time so I could call Mandie before she went to bed, I didn't get in until almost eleven. My flight home was very similar. We boarded the plane on time, but ended up getting stuck in the rain on the runway for 2 hours! If I could count on my flights being on time, I really wouldn't mind the travel.

Lately my projects have been pretty demanding of my time because of tight deadlines and additional administrative work. As I gain more experience, my responsibilities increase, but I still have to deliver. So, even when I'm local, I don't get home until late. At least when I travel, I'm more predictable. This allows Mandie to not worry about when I'll be home for dinner or if I can help put the kids to bed. When I travel, she actually manages quite well on her own. So, when my time demands are crunched, I can put as many hours in as I need to, without putting any extra burden on Mandie. Although, I know Mandie appreciates the help at home. I get full-diaper and late-night duty on the weekends, though.

Every night after the kids are in bed and I've finished my work, I call Mandie and we discuss our day. We probably talk more than we do when I'm home. I can't count how many times our talks extend over an hour. We always have nightly family prayer and cover very important topics. I really enjoy our talks because it helps me release any stress from the day and forget that I'm in a hotel room alone. Maybe Mandie and I could have these kinds of conversations at home, and we've tried, but the travel forces the habit. I've been thinking of getting webcams so we can see each other, and so I can see the kids. We'll see.

Of course, there are the known perks to travel. My airline miles and hotel points are through the roof. Hopefully I can save enough to take Mandie to New York or Hawaii for little to nothing. I get to drive some pretty cool rental cars (sometimes) and I get to see all parts of the country (some pretty, some not so).

Probably the overarching reason why I tolerate travel is because the projects are really cool. I get to do work I really enjoy, meet new people almost every day, and my company really likes my work, so I can't complain too much.

I know Mandie hasn't been posting that I've been out of town because of security concerns and I appreciate that. I'd ask her to make a similar posting, but I'm afraid it would require a 5 post series and many more cons than pros.

Anyways, if your husband travels, consider my lessons learned.