Back to Life

I took an 8 day fast from all technology.
I know what you are thinking...how did she survive?!
Well, it was not really by choice.
My husband was asked several months ago to join a team of teachers for a mission trip to Haiti. This trip was going to be a teacher conference type of trip where new curriculum was going to be brought to a school over there and the teacher's on the trip would basically train the Haitian teachers how to use it for the benefit if the children. It was to be an 8 day trip and while I was happy for him, I was also a little nervous.

Left : This is one of the local classrooms where my husband went....



Below are some of the students who showed up on their day off to help the teachers. They were promised a meal and something to take home.






                                                                                 

 Left: These were some friends at the school. My husband has two full sleeves of tattoo's that the students loved. They were showing their arms for the camera screaming "Sak Pase" which is basically "whats up!"





Below is a finished school building

 Left: These are the cafeteria ladies in the school cafeteria





Below is a giant spider that they had tons of. I was told they are almost the size of baseballs. So I pretty much would have NEVER slept.

My husband and I have been together 12 years. Out of those 12 years (included the time that we dated) we spoke every.single.day.
Seriously.
The only time we did not see each other was the various hospital stays that happen with a new little family and even in those we took advantage of the hospital phone.
For this trip, we would not be able to talk and the only form of communication we could squeeze in were about three emails (which I lived for by the way).
So here I am, suddenly husband free with two little ones and my mom mentions she is headed out to Arizona for five days of boating. The kids and I jump in her car and head out to Arizona to swim our hearts out and get sunburnt and dry.
But even in that, I missed my husband. A lot.
It is funny, because once people heard that this was our first real apart time almost everyones response was "Then this will be healthy for you"
And to that I say a resounding "bull crap."
Now, I wasn't crying and beyond eating and could not find joy in anything I did.
I had a blast, laughed with my kids and sisters and got my first tan in ages (I typically avoid the sun for fear of wrinkles and cancer)
But I felt...hollow. Like a piece of me was missing. Like I was supposed to have someone who saw life the same as me to share my experiences and that person was not there.
If that was my life would I go on? Sure. Why not. If I have learned anything from my tears over my 30 years of life is that eventually they stop coming and the empty scars fade.
But, I am fortunate to not be in the position yet and so I must say that just because we see each other everyday or talk everyday does not mean we have an unhealthy relationship.
In fact, I think it means the opposite. I think it means we fit together just so that it speaks volumes for our very healthy/best friends relationship in that we actually LIKE each other.
Weird. I know.



Me in the spot my husband proposed to me just 11 years earlier.....

On other notes...
Now that I am getting back to normal life things, last night I sent one of my other YA series to a few agents. So keep your fingers crossed. I seriously respect anyone who has sent query after query out because it is one of the hardest things to do. I mean, try explaining a 300 page book in one or two paragraphs and in a way that catches the eye of someone who is reading over 100 queries a day so that they contact you and ask for more....only a little intense.
I'll keep you updated.