People often ask me when I tell them our plans, do you have any fears? Trepidations? Uncertainties? Well sure, I tell them. And the first of those involves our son and daughter. Anyone with children knows that going off and leaving them behind is always difficult -- even if they're young adults and are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. At 26 and 23, they've been away from home and on their own on the west coast for several years now. But somehow, being in a foreign country with an ocean between us will feel so much farther than being on opposite sides of our own country. Yes, the children will absolutely make it over to visit us -- if we're lucky, more than once -- but still... Maybe the fact that we can actually go to Europe and leave them behind marks a separation milestone of sorts, and a bittersweet one at that. We've always tried to raise our children to be independent but can we be independent of them? We're two of that lucky breed of parent whose adult children are the two people we like best in the world. They've become our closest friends/companions/ partners-in-crime and with whom we cherish spending every minute possible. Yes, indeed, I do fear leaving them behind. I fear how much we will miss them.
But as our children always do, they're cheering us on. Excited for our adventure. Our biggest advocates.
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