Missing my grown "child"
 

I haven't been on much lately because I've been REALLY busy :)

Maybe some of you don't know that up until a few months ago I team drove a semi truck with DH & our sweet little boy Tuffy. I also adopted Bella about 4 months ago & she gets travel anxiety so bad in the semi that I decided to come off the road.

I have a daughter that's 26 in college for primary ed. Well, next school year she'll be doing her internship so she won't have a paycheck. Without a paycheck, housing becomes a real serious issue along with the fact that she owns a 65 pound mix breed dog that not a lot of places will accept. Oh boy! (this has been fun adjusting to because I will not let the 3 dogs be alone for even a second.)

What I wasn't aware of is that she'd also applied through her college to go teach over in Spain for 9 weeks :eek: Out of all the students who applied they held interviews for 10 & chose 4; she got chosen! She's been gone 1 week today & gawd how I wish she were back home. I miss her terribly although I know she'll have the time of her life.

Anyone else have a "child" off in another country this summer?

Hey Sherry...just yesterday I was thinking of you and wondered where you've been. It's great to see you post again! You've had some big changes in your life, expanding your furry family, that's wonderful. Do you miss being on the road?

My sons have both been away from home before and it is tough. I know how you feel, we miss seeing them daily as we've been used to and always worry more when they are away. Congratulations though for your daughter! I'm sure she is having a great time but is also missing you too.

I'm aware of several U.S. kids going abroad these days teaching English. My sons both have friends in foreign countries, 2 in China, 1 in Japan and 1 in Brazil. But their jobs are long-term, not a shorter term like your daughters. I know their moms have to miss them and worry even more than I did.

:ghug:
Hi Sherry! I don't have kids in other countries, but I am all to familiar with the empty house since my two have recently left home. I know I would be beside myself with worry if they were in another country, so I am just sending you a big giant hug! I hope she takes lots of pictures and has great stories and memories when she comes home.

Sorry Sherry.....I know it's been hard on you. Lots of changes to your life ALL AT ONCE!! :hug:

If it makes you feel any better, for the last 9 summers (mostly) Torry (and sometimes Alex) has been in either Australia or Africa! Torry was in Africa for the entire summer last year ~ and is hoping to go again this year. I'm very proud of her and the mission work she is doing but that doesn't make it any less difficult! :eek:

I feel your pain... my are in Chicago. It may as well be another country for me:(

whew! I'm glad ya'll are around, I really am.
Both my kids left home right at 18; she never really had an urge to come back home & is very proud of having made it on her own so coming back to live with momma was really hard for her to do. Added to that is the fact that my son also has come back to the nest for a short time.

I think I'd be less nervous if she were with some kind of group & didn't have such a rough time in the travel to get to where she was going. The airline made them put some of the carry on items in a under carriage stow & LOST her carry on for 2 days. Of course, hers & 3 others train tickets were in the bag :mad: Although 4 went, they each are teaching in differant schools hours from one another. The other girls all got cool places to stay & people their age; she is living with an older woman (older even than her momma!) and not in the best of towns (it's under reconstruction & there's a "hood" she has to travel through no matter where she's headed). I really feel bad for her but knowing my daughter she will make the best of it no matter what.

Hey now, Chicago may appear to be another country but it is not! Bet they love it here.

Hope all is well with you.

It will all work out. Relax. Best thing and worst thing that happened to me is when my parents had to sign my enlistment papers when I was 17 so I would not miss the war in Nam. I was crazy back then. Thank God I am now mellow and laid back.

I miss the road a LOT but with Bella being how she is in the rig there's no way I could have put her through being out there any longer than we did. I'd even tried several anxiety meds but she'd sit in 1 spot & just tremble. It broke my heart. :(

I know in my heart it'll all be fine Steve; it's also knowing how evil & horrible this world has become that scares me. To think that parents actually encouraged their children to go fight in a war at such an early age is almost beyond my minds comprehension. I appreciate what all of you did, please don't get me wrong.

Thanks ladies :)

No, not in another country. But, I do have two away at college. My son, my baby (18) who just finished his freshman year at college, was supposed to come home TODAY, for the summer and just decided this week to sublease an apartment from someone & stay there for the summer session & take classes. I bawled. I was so looking forward to him coming home. :(

I don't have one in another country or in another county. Mine is 15 minutes up the road and boy do I miss him.
He got married in December and I think he has forgotten his Mother.
I know th eempty nest syndrom well. Things just ain't the same with him now out on his own. I don't get to see him much cause of his work hours vs mine. He works
Wed-Mon 2pm-10pm. I work M-F 8-4. When he is off he is spending time with his bride which is fair and I am glad for him but I miss him home so much.
I pretty much raise him all his 23 years alone. I was/am a single Mom.

Thank God for Josie and Jack or I don't know where I would be today. They do keep me busy and I look forward to getting off work and rush home to them.

As a parent, I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes I get a feeling to look for my real birth parents, as the ones I had left a bit to be desired. And I was not adopted.!

Thought you all might enjoy this...it's one of the pictures I like the best so far. It was taken in Valladolid Spain (be sure to look at the blow up & not just the thumbnail)

Whoa! Is that your daughter?

Yep!...isn't that a cool picture? :D

That's waaaaay cool!

Cool face in the window :D

That's Sarah, Lisa. I really love the expression on her face. It's an awesome picture & one I'll be sure to have made so that we can frame it.

I knew it was Sarah

I love it too....I was just being silly :tongue:

Somehow I thought you knew :)

Missing your daily "road texts" :( Maybe you can send me daily HOME texts??? ;)

UGH...update on my girl in Spain:
There's been some drama & she's spent a night ALONE locked out of the place she'd been living last friday night :eek:

She's moved to a small 2 bedroom apartment nearer to the school now since it was apparent she'd worn out her welcome where she was.

Backtracking: The lady from whom my daughter was renting a place to stay went on a week long cruise so my daughter decided to have a couple of the teachers over for dinner. No big deal in her eyes but when the woman came back she was VERY upset & it doesn't seem she's gotten over being mad even though they'd talked it out.
Friday she went out for dinner with friends & a little grown-up entertainment (over there the party doesn't get started til about midnight). When it was time to go home, she discovered she didn't have her key & couldn't get the woman to answer the door (who would at 3 am?) so back to town she walked. OMGawd. She only had about 20 euros with her & unfortunately it wasn't enough for a hotel room so she waited for daylight in a hotel foyer. This gave her time to think about her situation & she decided to ask if it was possible to relocate since she could tell that now she really wasn't welcome where she'd been staying.

She's now 5 minutes walk to the school she's helping at, no longer has to walk through the scary part of town to go places & I think she's much happier. She would like to extend her time there but from what we've been told it's nearly impossible to get a work visa while there already on a tourist visa.

I'm ready for her to come HOME!

It must be a huge relief that she is in a better situation now. I would be so worried yet so proud of what your daughter is doing.