Hasta la Vista, Baby!

The USS Frugal Traveler deploys once more
The USS Frugal Traveler deploys once more

And so, once again, I’m about to head off on a long trip. Eleven days this time—no wife, no baby. It’s hard to say if it was like this last time—that was back in, what, October or November—but I guess I’m kind of sad. When Sasha was just a little pre-sentient nugget, I knew she’d hardly even notice I was away.

Now, though, I was just getting into the habit of picking her up from day care, and hearing her say “Daddy” and all that stuff that I hate getting all emotional about. (Almost crying, almost crying!) And today, I’ve just heard from Jean, Sasha burst into tears at day care when Jean tried to leave. I guess this is how it’s going to go, easy partings balanced by crushing ones.

Let’s just hope the scales are re-tipped in my favor when I return—melancholy good-byes are sometimes worth it for ecstatic reunions.

Published by Matt

Matt Gross writes about travel and food for the New York Times, Saveur, Gourmet, and Afar, where he is a Contributing Writer. When he’s not on the road, he’s with his wife, Jean, and daughter, Sasha, in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.

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