Things I learned in India

My husband and I recently spent 3 weeks traveling in India, sans child. I expected the unexpected, but here are a few things that surprised me on my trip:
1. I gained 5 pounds from all the good food.
2. There was toilet paper in (almost) every bathroom I went in.
3. I cried like a baby when leaving my baby behind.

I expected to miss him after a week or so - the longest I'd ever been away was five days. But I didn't expect to have such a hard time leaving. Here's what I wrote in my journal while we were at the airport:
"I was surprised at my reaction to leaving Max - I didn't expect it to hit me as hard as it did. I've been away from him before, and the reality is that we will be in contact and could come home quickly if needed. But I just don't want something to happen to him and me not be there. I'm always there whenever he needs me. It was one of the first times I had the full knowledge of the power of staying at home with him, what that means - being there with him through everything. It's an awesome experience, and I'm so lucky that I'm able to do it. Not that I feel that way every day!"

I didn't expect the act of leaving my child for three weeks to so completely confirm for me that being a stay-at-home mom is the right thing for me. And I especially didn't expect it to be confirmed in the first hour of my trip! But that's what happened. NOW, I'm clinging on to that knowledge with all my might as we go through "readjustment", which has included some of the worst behavior I've seen in a year. Sigh.