Traveling as a mom is so much harder than I anticipated. Recently, I had to travel for the first time since I had my little girl and it was every bit as hard as I imagined. It is particularly hard during COVID, because it’s a new level of stress to be concerned that you will bring COVID home to your child. As I got out of the car at the airport in all of my gear, I immediately got looks of bewilderment and shock. Everyone is required to wear a mask when traveling and I was happy to see everyone following the rules. But I took it to an entirely different level. I had a KN95 mask, onion goggles, and a face shield. It’s amazing to me that people stared, and I mean really stared at me. We’re in the middle of a pandemic and you’re wondering why I have all of my gear on? Yes, I’m paranoid, and yes, I’m also a scientist who studies viruses. So if I’m concerned, everyone else should be as well. About 30 minutes into my travels, I was fogging up to the point that I couldn’t see so I had to take my onion goggles off. Even though I was concerned to lose that extra barrier, I still had my mask and face shield to protect me. I also kept all of my gear on the entire time I traveled. I made sure I was hydrated before I left my house and I was fine without a beverage for those 7 hours. After I took a cab to my hotel, I stripped down, took a really long shower and didn’t wear those clothes again.
That night was particularly hard for me. It was the first night I haven’t put my sweet little girl to bed. She’s been with me now for over a year and I’ve put her to bed every night since she was born. Even though I video called her before her bedtime, we both seemed distraught to be apart. She seemed so confused and kept running to the stairs looking up and calling out “mama”. She didn’t understand why I wasn’t coming downstairs to hug her. That was the hardest part…I couldn’t explain why I wasn’t there with her.
I was gone for about a week and it felt like a month. After a few nights away, she seemed to be adjusting to our virtual playdates. She realized I was calling to talk and “play” with her so she would run around and bring toys to the screen to show me what she was playing with. I’ll admit that I teared up more than once during our video calls. It’s so hard to be away from her. This is another struggle working moms deal with. For most careers, we can assume there will be some travel. Travel for conferences, to meet potential clients, to maintain relationships with existing clients, etc. And while it may be infrequent for some of us, it is still a new aspect of what the working mom has to deal with to advance her career.
The added challenge of traveling for work during COVID depends on your level of concern for contracting the virus. Personally, I am very worried. I live with my parents and they have underlying health conditions so I’m cautious for their safety. I’m cautious for my baby’s safety. And I’m even cautious for myself. I hear that recovery after COVID can be long and difficult for even young and healthy individuals and I can’t afford to take extended periods of time off work. Because of this, I quarantined when I returned home and I got tested twice (once upon returning and a second time 5 days later). During that time, I really wasn’t able to see my baby much; and when I did, I wore a mask. Luckily, I made it back safely and COVID-free. I’m so happy to be home, spending time with my little girl and being the one to tuck her in at night. I feel so lucky to have this sweet little soul in my life. Wishing all mamas an extra cuddle session with their mini-me tonight. ❤️
God will provide ah if only He would till He does!
Im very pleased to uncover this page. I want to to thank you for your time just for this fantastic read!! I definitely appreciated every little bit of it and i also have you saved to fav to look at new stuff in your web site.