The First Trip Away ...

This past Wednesday coming and going meant that JP had been with us for 8 weeks. It's hard to believe that it's already been two month, and I'm starting to get a sense of what people mean when they say that "it all goes by so fast." In those 8 weeks, I've spent a grand total of 1 night away from my son, and that was in Houston after spending all weekend with him and Lyzz in Houston, and returning home that very next afternoon. Right now, I'm sitting in the Washington Dulles airport lounge. I've spent the last two days with clients in the Virginia area - this is my first legitimate (read: on an airplane :)) trip away from my son, and man ... this sucks.

I really, really enjoy traveling. I've gotten to do a lot of it for work, and I obviously married into a family that's travel-mad. For whatever strange reason, the airport bar, the rental car counter, seat 21A (American Airlines, you know what I"m talking about) are all very familiar, very comfortable places for me. I look forward to trips, to seeing new places, to meeting new customers and clients, and to the general experience. Since having JP, I've been wondering if that feeling was going to change. The obvious answer is yes, it has changed. But that doesn't do the feeling justice. The last two days have proven that I still love to travel. The airport is still kinda fun. I discovered a new Sheraton in the Reston, VA area that's pretty cool, and I already have a return trip booked (for an upcoming show with this same customer). The beer I'm having right now still tastes awesome.

The change in the whole thing has nothing to do with travel. What I've realized is not that I don't want to travel anymore, which is how I used to articulate this to everyone. The change is that, MORE than I want to travel, I want to spend time with this guy. I mean c'mon, look at that face!

It's a fascinating thing to have happen. My priorities have shifted, but the OLD priorities are still in place. It's not a replacement of goals and desires, but a new set of goals has rocketed to the top of the list. It's sort of a neat feeling, actually, to know that I can still experience such massive personal change, and that I'm not limited in scope to what I already know, already believe, and already have decided on.


So I don't mind the travel, but I do mind the time away. In the past, I would have called you an idiot for saying that, because they seem like the same thing, but I know now that they aren't. Here's hoping I can do a good job of balancing them. I hope JP likes to fly, because that kid is going to be a world-wise traveler by the time he's 4. I've got all these miles to use, and there's no one I'd rather use them on that his cute face and his cute mother.

One more awesome picture, for good measure. If you're wondering what the significance of these pictures are - these are the pics that Lyzz keeps sending me on my phone, to make sure I don't forget what he looks like. She's nice like that, always looking out for me. They're probably the most meaningful thing I've ever received on my phone.