What I Learned Traveling With My Grandchild
NEXT AVENUE September 28, 2023
Once the jitters disappeared, our trip was filled with sightseeing, family and a few giggles.
OUR TRIP TO the nation's capital didn't begin as expected. After months of excited planning, my normally outgoing, resilient granddaughter wiped tears away as we waited for our flight. Mandy (not her real name) missed her parents and her stomach hurt. I had assumed she'd be comfortable with me since her family lived with us for a year during COVID. I wondered how I'd occupy a teary eleven-year-old for five days.
Mandy wasn't the only one nervous about the trip. I'd been trying to convince myself it would be fun for weeks. When an unexpected health issue depleted my energy and restricted my diet, I worried how Mandy would react if I was too tired to sightsee.
Her mom assured me Mandy was excited to visit the nation's capital and not opposed to resting if necessary. I decided to do whatever I could to make the trip both easy and fun.
