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Ten-Word Tuesday. What Bossy Did On Her Summer Vacation

bossys-daughter-expression

The expression on Bossy’s daughter’s face, this is what Bossy keeps thinking about. When the photo was taken, Bossy’s daughter was only a couple of hours from entering the belly of a plane bound for Europe, alone. And in the photo above, Bossy’s daughter’s face encapsulates an appropriate mix of hopefulness and trepidation.

That’s really great you sent your daughter to Europe alone, people say to Bossy, only they substitute the word crazy for great, and the word baby for daughter.

Oh that’s nothing, Bossy replies, and goes on to tell the bedtime story of how Bossy shipped her son to Japan, alone, when he was only ten — except he had a connecting flight in Detroit and there was a delay because the airline was sweeping thousands of dead seagulls from the runway due to a hailstorm in the middle of October.

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Of course the reality is Bossy’s daughter is staying and traveling with dear British friends who briefly lived next door to the Bossy family — and they happen to sport a daughter who is Bossy’s daughter’s age:

bossys-daughter-friend

So Bossy’s daughter will have the time of her life and is in responsible hands — but that doesn’t stop Bossy from sitting around obsessively calculating:

time-zone-math

Bossy knows what you’re thinking: Nine plus five does not equal two, silly Bossy! To which Bossy replies, Sure it does, when one is calculating the five-hour time difference between Bossy and her little daughter.

Because despite the amazing experience your child will have — or your own much-needed time spent kid-less — there’s something that feels very unnatural about a great distance between you and your offspring.

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Bossy knows she’s not alone. For instance Bossy’s friend Martha is sending The Artist Formerly Known as Pool Urchin to overnight camp this summer for two weeks.

bossys-friend-martha-son

Bossy can sum up her plan to distract herself while her daughter is traveling abroad in this way: Turn on the television and hook up the wine I.V.

Which is what today’s Ten-Word Challenge is all about. In exactly ten words, can you tell Bossy about your experience with summer separation, either from your own parents or from your kids, and how you dealt with it?

And be sure to check back later today for the best summer separation stories on the Web.

If you missed last week’s challenge, click here to find out how Bossy’s readers would write their own personal ads, in ten words, of course.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  27. every year i couldn’t wait to leave the parents (and pesky older brother) at home to escape to summer camp for 3 glorious fun filled (non-parental) weeks.

    Reply

  29. Gah is right! I’m putting my precious 16 year old on a plane in a couple of weeks to Washington DC. Whaaaaaaa!!!!

    Reply

  38. Hard to choose:

    1) Parents in Europe. Brother gets mono and hepatitis, needs hospitalization.

    2) Mostly empty Florida resort fine until invaded by weekending cubans.

    Reply

  43. two weeks: Europe w/hubby, kiddos with grandma, mixed emotions

    We’re going to Europe alone this summer. I go everywhere with my three year old daughter (work, bathroom, everywhere). I’m very excited and I’m sure I will have fun and miss my boys, but the thought of not being with my baby for those two weeks makes me get weepy and want to pack her in my carry-on.

    Reply

  54. I couldnt wait to go anywhere without my wacky parents!
    Now:
    Adult daughter whos a mother, lives in another state, Stillworriedlikeshes4.

    Reply

  56. Discovered pacifier in bag on Maui beach. Baby across ocean.

    Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
    (That, being a sound effect, does not count as a word)

    Reply

  67. when the boy’s away, i try to recapture pre-mom me.

    (my mom takes Jake for a week each year, and my dad does the same. So I have at least two weeks of recapturing going on. It’s really hard, and rarely works, but it’s fun trying. Also, home projects.)

    Reply

  73. Hated Scout Camp. Wiped tears on letters pleading for rescue.
    .
    (By the time they came to get me, I loved it too much to leave!)

    Reply

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