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"Leaving on a Jet Plane"

So, I am getting ready to go present a paper at an education conference.

Again.

Been there, done that.

I've been to conferences in Chicago, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, San Antonio. Generally, two conferences a year. Most are national, a few international.

Wales, anyone?

I'm sure most working moms will agree that traveling is hard.

Getting ready to travel is even harder.

This time the conference is in Dublin, Ireland, and I will gone a whole week -- 7 days and 7 nights. These are the hardest. This one I hope won't be so hard on Perfect Husband because his mother is coming to stay and help. With the longer hours of the new job, plus commute, there is no way we can count on him being able to both drop off and pick up Annie from preschool. That is where mother-in-law comes in.

Some moms I have talked to think it is easier to leave babies. They can't ask questions or guilt trip you.

How long will you be gone this time, Mommy?

And yes, I agree to an extent. Though when Annie was 2-years-old I had to be gone for a whole week at an international conference, and it was really, really hard. I was lonely. I missed my family. I got a lot of sleep, though. That part was nice.

The New York Times recently did a piece on mommies who travel. How hotels are catering more to them with spa business packages, etc. "Working Mothers Find Some Peace on the Road " talks about the guilt and the loneliness, but closes on the guilty pleasures sleeping in a "big bed with clean sheets." http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/01/business/01travel.html?ex=1320037200&en=5838e81ad02d015a&ei=5088

We have come a long way, baby, that we even have articles about moms who have to travel for work, but it still is hard.

Mommy is going on a plane trip.

Again.