Whoop whoop!! Ya girl had herself a me, myself & I trip. Not only did I travel sans the hubby and kids, it was on a school night and out of state.
Shout out to my VP and fellow working mom. She must have recognized that look in my eyes – that over-tired, over-stressed – OVER IT look. I gotta give a praise clap to my husband as well, who reworked his schedule so I could travel on the trip.
Now I know a work trip is not a glamorous thing for most but for me, Conshohoken, PA was Abu Dhabi. Let’s reflect on this working mom’s normal day-to-day schedule:
- Get up at 6:30am, use the bathroom.
- Crazy morning mom life drama.
- Drop kids at school & daycare.
- Crazy morning traffic drama.
- Crazy work drama.
- Insert garden variety crisis dealer’s choice work, home or other.
- 30 seconds for a lunch break.
- Crazy work drama.
- Insert 2nd crisis of the day, again dealer’s choice.
- Crazy afternoon traffic drama.
- Pick up kids.
- Crazy end of day mom life drama.
- 11:30pm use the bathroom and woosah.
My schedule for this overnight work trip didn’t need bullet points – already a win!
I was awakened by an alarm clock not cold 3-year old hands asking if I was still asleep. I ate three (3) square meals both days. I chose restaurants based on their atmosphere and Zagat rating – not whether their kids menu included chicken tenders. I helped no one use a public toilet and no one ate off my plate. I needed to do no strategic planning for another battle in World War III: Veggies. And the best part, there was no hesitation in ordering my 21+ beverages due to side-eye Sally. I partook in ladies’ night drink specials and I liked it.
By The Way, side-eye Sally: If I want a glass of wine while out to dinner with my children, you should give me a Tyra Banks’ smize not side-eye.
That glass of wine is to steady my nerves and maintain my composure for the atomic bomb of discord my children will detonate. The ceasefire enacted after the last piece of bread was eaten and children’s meals arriving is as tenuous as the conflict over the Gaza Strip. Don’t forget side-eye Sally, we are all in the same dining room and you will want me to have my wits about me.
I was off mommy duty for two (2) days with expenses, hotel and travel reimbursed – completely guilt free. Of course I had to work which is more than a fair trade; I like my work. Keeping it all the way 100 though, I was apprehensive about that part due to the nature of my trip.
I was traveling to the new corporate office to train my replacement. A macchiato and heavy pop/funk feminista playlist for the commute, served as my tools of meditation in anticipation for this awkward encounter. My logic; if I blast my psyche and traffic with my overindulgent self praise and awesomeness, I would find empathy for this wannabe much faster.
Destination reached, time to smize my way into empathy for the runner up (sorry that’s my playlist still talking), but wait…can it be? Selise 2.0 is Ahmazing! By lunch, we were swapping husband bashing stories and reveling in people being made uncomfortable by our sarcastic awesomeness. Turns out she is from my home state and county. I traveled across 2 – 3 state lines to train my replacement and instead initiated another member into my mom gang. Shout out to Baltimore County – no literally we did a verbal shout out to the public education system we grew up in because #ganggang.
By the time our training sessions were through, I had offered to telecommute under her leadership. Look ain’t no shame in my game. You go girl, takeover the heavy lifting & I will spot you! #womensupportingwomen I would rather be replaced by someone I vibe with than someone I don’t!
All in all, a proper mommy break done well.