There are still quite a few people we haven't told our plans. Some friends and acquaintances we don't see all that often and they will most likely find out when we are about to leave or have left. Then there are a few certain people who are more than likely not going to have anything nice to say about it so lets just avoid mentioning it to them (you know those people. the ones who every time you catch up with them you wonder why you are actually friends). We also don't want to walk about the place telling every Tom, Dick and Harry (snigger as I wrote dick). Because lets face it, this is our thing and nobody is going to be as excited as us. And nobody wants to be bored to death before we have even left the state! I am also a little emotional about leaving my dogs and selling my house and all I need is one comment and I start questioning everything. So I'm avoiding that as much as I can right now.
Here are some of the common reactions we got when we said our family is going on a 6 month trip.
Wow, I would love to do that, where are you going?.....
This is the most common response and then follows a short conversation about the places we will go and the places they have been or would like to go.
Good for you, that will be a great experience....
These are positive people because they don't judge or question. They are genuinely happy for us and wish us well. These people are our true friends.
But what about your kids school?......
This one makes me have to justify that I am a seven year trained school teacher so I should be ok to teach my own kids for two terms. The follows my rant of 'but they will learn so much on the road'. I always feel icky after this conversation as I hate feeling like I am doing a bad thing towards the kids by taking them on this trip.
But what about your husband's job?.....
Another justification conversation follows. Oh a job is a job, he loves this job so its hard but at the end of the day he can find another when we return. blah blah blah.
Well if you don't like it and it all gets too much for the kids I suppose you could just pack up and go home.....
An elderly family member gave this rather deflating advice. Um I don't want to plan this whole trip then pike out a few weeks into it because we are tired, bored, stressed or just plain don't like it.
But my all time favourite response was:
OH.
Not a oh as in raising the voice an octave like 'oah'. It was a definite flat monotoned 'oh'. One that made me wish perhaps we had not bothered to even tell these people.
Know the 'oh' response very well love. Sometimes trying to help others come to terms with it will not help or solve said reactions but only make you frustration. It is what it is and not everyone will like your decisions but they are just that YOURS :)
ReplyDeleteWow what an adventure! You're very right that what people say are more of a reflection on themselves than anyone else. Perhaps they just don't understand, or it doesn't fit in with their expectations, or they are a tad jealous. I look forward to reading about your journey!
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