I love my family and I miss them often. I wouldn’t voluntarily live in the USA again, as I’ve mentioned, I find the USA to be tremendously boring. But I do appreciate the visits I get to see my family. And it’s somewhat refreshing to visit the USA sometimes, because living everyday in Central America is very different. So, traveling back to the USA is often a good experience.
Being a traveler has one major downside…lost time with loved ones.
I typically visit my parents twice a year, once for Christmas and another time for whatever random events are going on, like this year I’ve had two weddings to travel for. My parents live on Martha’s Vineyard, a small island south of Boston. You may have heard of it, Ex-president Obama just bought a house on the island. It’s beautiful. Getting there is always a challenge, because it involves a flight, a train, a bus and a boat. Even when my flight arrives, I have 3-4 more hours of travel left to do.
But the long trip is totally worth it.
I have a great relationship with my dad. My dad is a very friendly conservative man that can fix anything. He’s laid back to talk to and hard-working. My stepmother is a homemaker that cooks delicious dinners and deserts. They’re both fun to talk to and they’re great people in general, always active in the community in some way.
Sometimes I wish I wasn’t so far away from them because I wish I could be more involved in my parents lives. My grandmother, who was a wonderful woman, passed away in 2015, which was very difficult for the entire family. Since then, I’ve wanted to spend more time with them. But my thirst for travel and adventure always has me on the move. Fortunately, each time that I visit my family, I stay for a week or more to make up for some of the time lost.
I think that a lot of travelers often put traveling in a positive light, as if it’s a life with only positives. But the big cost is lost time with loved ones and family. I rarely read about that online on other blogs, but it’s the silent truth, at least for me.
Someday, if my girlfriend and I have children, I know that it will be a challenge for them to spend time with their grandparents and that kinda bums me out. That is why I value every moment with my parents and why anybody with loved ones should value their time with them. Life is precious. Our relationships with the people we love are some of the most valuable parts of life itself.
I hope I never forget that.
