Great Choice! Thank you, Jen! - September 12, 2011

The preparations to be “over the big pond” for almost a year are numerous.  The details to be considered are many.  Jen’s preparations were intentional, thorough and strategic.  Some things you can adapt and prepare for; some will be surprises.  To stay under 50 pounds in each of her suitcases meant that she wore her winter coat and boots as she departed the 90 degree warmer than usual Nebraska September.  That was a smart choice, except for the boots being new to her feet.  The boot choice became more painful as she had to run through O’Hare for a change in her booked flight!

Jen is headed over the pond without an international cell phone plan!  Oh my word!  But that was a good choice too, because the cost of the plan would have taken almost 35% of her Fulbright stipend.  So, we all knew when she departed our communications would be dependent on e-mail, facebook, and skype.  We all knew we would have to be patient and able to accept silence for longer periods of time than were our normal routines.  Time to put on my big girl panties and deal with it.

Yet for this first day’s travel (5 am - 5 pm) she would remain in the USA, so Jen chose to take her cell phone with her and use it until she boarded the flight out of Dulles.  Texts and calls have never been more relished!  Jen called from Chicago.  We were able to know her flight out of Chicago was delayed and then she was changed to another flight (sorry Pittsburgh, no visit from Jen today) to make sure she could make her international connection out of Dulles.  We were able to know she arrived in Dulles and made her way to Austrian Air.

Great choice, thank you Jen!  To be a part of these early legs of her journey was a great gift!    I recommend this choice to any one who travels and will fly out of their cell phone plan.  Hang on as long as you can! Ten months is more than a weekend or two!  These precious hours were treasures!

All too soon our day of traveling together came to an end.

My cell phone rang....  “Hi, mom!”  We talked for a few brief minutes and then it hit me, this was our last phone call.  Some how I mustered up the words, “Is this it?”

After a few seconds she replied.   Now we were really saying “see you soon”.

The silence that took over the call was deafening.

Every tear I had not shed in the airport, looking up to the sky at the jet trails, listening to her talk from Chicago, visiting with her in Dulles had been dammed up.  Every tear wanted out at the same moment.  It was a flood!  If you remember Lamaze breathing techniques they come in very handy in such moments as these!

Breathe!     Breathe!    Breathe!   Absolutely essential was some healthy self talk!  I repeated to myself,  “Jen is on an amazing adventure and journey.  Jen’s dream has come true.  Life is good.  God is good.”


Nothing worthwhile or worthy in this earthly life comes without effort, sacrifice, ad some good hard work. 

Dose #2