Tomorrow is the day....eeekkkkkk
Well tomorrow is the day! From vision board (5 years ago) to reality.
Tomorrow I fly to India.
I'm nervous, and scared, and excited.
Though this will be my 18th country, I have never traveled internationally without Olivia. It feels different when you have another little life back home. The fear really ramps up.
To help her and me through our time apart, I put together a schedule for her with a 'word' clue to a gift she gets to open up every night before she goes to bed.
I tried to coordinate some of the gifts with things that match what I will be doing on my trip so that we could feel connected even though far apart.
Here's what that looks like:
Day 1: Homework - but the fun kind! I told Liv and my nieces to get on Google and start researching what souvenirs I should be on the look out for during my trip!
Day 2: Olivia recently informed that a new episode of High School Musical comes out every Friday. For premiere night!
Day 3: Hugs & Kisses: I may have regifted this. So thank you Tyler!
Day 4: My hand: The fingers say, "Do. My. Nails. Pretty. Please. Palm reads, "Holding your hand in mine. Put your hand in my hand. Can you feel my heart loving yours -even from far far away."
Day 5: Color Wash: I colored Olivia this picture and included a crayon heart and some purple glitter lip gloss. Note reads: "India is full of color! Are you?"
Day 6: Ring in the New Year
Day 7: Canvas Set: Liv and I usually make vision boards around the New Year. Got her some canvases so she can start dreaming up what her future holds. What will you create this year?
Day 8: Ladder to the stars: So when Liv and I went to Kringle's Inventionasium this weekend part of the experience was creating a toy. She got frustrated almost as soon as she started and even more so when it kept falling apart; by the end I was finishing the creation and rushing to name it before Mrs. Kringle stopped by to officially stamp it with her approval :) I named the creation Ladder to the Stars and in my note to Liv for this gift reminded her that you can ALWAYS, ALWAYS rebuild (look how often we have in the past 4 years alone!)! We also often listen to Floating Amongst the Stars: A Guided Meditation for Sleep. It's over an hour long, but it is so effective it took us over a year to make it past the 8 min mark (we still haven't finished it). So if you have trouble sleeping I highly suggest checking it out! I encouraged her to wish on a star reminding her I’d be looking up at that same sky (cue that song from An American Tale that Fievel sings), to listen to the meditation (told her I would too), and to try out her new Starlight Projector that Santa bought.
Day 9 Walk on the Wildside: Since today I will be visiting a Spice Farm/Elephant Reserve/Wildlife Sanctuary I thought it would be nice if Liv got to love on some elephants of her own.
Day 10: Today I will be arriving at HInterland Ayurvedic Resort. So excited to visit this sacred space where everything is valued: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG5MEAIcdMg
Only fair that Olivia and Tia get some pampering too!
Day 11: My dad gave me this music box a few Christmas's ago and now I'm passing it down to Olivia. Giving her a music box reminds me of the animated film Anastasia and this song/clip in particular: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA7XKmC5QbQ
Day 12: Candy reminding her to Stay Sweet ;)
Day 13: Today I made Liv some art trying to represent my love for her after reading the following lines: "I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone. And how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art." - Helena Bonham Carter.
My love for her is big and bold and fiery.
Day 14: Tell me what you did while I was gone (stole this one from Pinterest and unfortunately I can't remember uploader now). A little note letting her know I'll be back tomorrow and can't wait to trade stories of our adventures with each other.
Again, while I'm nervous as can be about leaving her I (and turbulence, and mosquitoes, and air pollution, and on and on) I do hope I'm also showing her that dreams (no matter how big they seem) do come true if you are brave enough to chase them!
