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Single Parent Vacations

A most timely find for this time of year - vacation options for single parents. I have experienced some of the same challenges that this column talks about. Feeling slightly odd to be the solitary single parent family in a "sea of two parent families" or at least bigger families with relatives standing in for the absent parent. If J and I travel somewhere it feels as if we merely teleported ourselves while still sitting on the living room couch. The scenery is new and different but nothing else is - something remains missing from the vacation. Unless we have friends traveling with us, the time off does not have the rejuvenating effect I look for.

I used to wonder if that was just me seeking what I don't have at the cost of not appreciating the many blessings that I do have. I would chide myself for not being able to live in the present and enjoy what the moment has to offer and get frustrated at not being able to quite do so. It is very comforting to see that I am not alone in feeling odd and left out in crowds and that there is niche for people like me who want to travel with their children and make it a trip to fully enjoy and remember. Despite everything, in the end it is true that : Adults who travel alone with kids face some pressures that two-parent families don’t.

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