A Yankee in Texas

Before we had children, Mr. Husband and I loved to travel. We weren't avid globetrotters, but we made a few trips together to visit family or attend out-of-town weddings, both by plane and car. (Most notably, we drove from  eastern Massachusetts to Toronto, with just one stop each way in upstate New York. If you like looking at farms A LOT, I highly recommend this drive.) After we had children, and most especially after B was old enough that we needed to buy his own plane ticket, our trips have gotten fewer and fewer. We'd been talking about visiting close friends (a married couple with three beautiful children) from college who had moved to Texas, but hesitated at the expense and inconvenience. Then we had the ingenious idea to take turns visiting.

Because Mr. Husband is the most selfless human being on the planet, he let me go first.

BOS>DFW

I might have been a little giddy about the prospect of flying solo. Even with an early morning flight.

My fabulous hosts really pulled out the stops introducing a variety of unique cuisines

Barbecue and cronuts.

and sights.

I had a blast playing with their kids and trying to convince them that I could catch my plane by jumping. (They didn't buy it.)

But, as I told my friends, I'd go to North Dakota to visit them. Even with all of the ways we can keep in touch with friends and loved ones these days, there's really nothing that replaces face-to-face conversation. I don't live near a lot of my closest girlfriends, so it was truly special to be able to stay up late confiding in one another. I'm truly blessed to have such a friend who can forgive my faults, who understands both the beauties and difficulties of motherhood, and with whom we can both share our burdens. Although my late night flight and the cold my kids gifted me before I left have made me physically tired, I feel mentally and spiritually refreshed.

Times to recharge are few in motherhood, and I'm learning to relish them when they come.