Would I get lost on the way?
Would I make it on time?
Would the kids be okay with a new babysitter?
Would the people there like me?
But when I'm nervous about something, I do what my Dad taught me to do: Prepare, prepare, and then prepare some more. And get there early.
For trips, I check for my license, wallet, and cell phone.
For work, I'm early.
For this, I may have over-prepared to epic proportions, but that was just a direct reflection of how important it felt to me.
I had a map and I made sure I knew how long it would take to get there. Then I cushioned the drive with extra time so I could stop for coffee and take a peek at the mountains at the scenic overlook.
I asked the sitter to come over extra early to familarize her with the kids and their routines. So for, like, two hours of babysitting, she was coached on my household for the better part of an hour. (Yikes... I have become one of those moms.)
I popped a frozen lasagna in the oven so she wouldn't have to worry about dinner. (And by saying "she wouldn't have to worry about dinner" I may or may not have been talking about myself.) And, in reality, the babysitter wasn't entirely new, the kids just hadn't seen her since she went away to college.
And as for the last question... What am I, twelve? Good grief.
Tuesday afternoon came and I hit the road extra early. But I was still nervous. So I called Karin. Oh, the miles between us kind of hurt right then. I let myself imagine how it would have felt if she had been in the car next to me. We would have had the windows rolled down and been so flipping excited we wouldn't have been able to contain ourselves. We chatted for a few minutes, and I promised to fill her in on all the details when the session was over. We got off the phone, and then I was on my own.
The nerves lasted until somewhere between the Waynesboro Starbucks and Afton mountain. That's when something clicked. And I just got excited. This was really happening. I was on my way... I could picture making the same drive with my puppy in a couple short months. How amazing will that be???
My mom called and wished me luck and boosted that confidence level even a bit more. When I pulled into Charlottesville, I found the place just fine. I got there with ten minutes to spare. I parked the van and walked down to the entrance. I opened the door to Service Dogs of Virginia and six beautiful, black Labradors came lumbering over to me to quietly say hello. I petted each one on the head and said hello back. I couldn't help but smile. This was so right.
The evening was more fufilling than I could have possibly imagined.
I really feel like I have connected with a part of me that has always been just around the corner.
I wanted all of you, all the people I love, to be peeking through the windows and watching me while I worked. I still get choked up just thinking about that image. If you could see me now...
I'll post more information on the topics we covered and the training I did later... The girls are soaking in a tubby as I write this on my phone. They are loving the long bath, but are rapidly turning into prunes. So I'll end for now. But before I sign off, just smile with me at these gorgeous mountains and exciting new chapter that lays ahead.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
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