A few weeks ago, I was busy packing. I did loads and loads of laundry, I hauled suitcases down from the top shelves in my closets, and I carefully dispensed bodywash and shampoo into small, airplane-appropriate containers. I counted pairs of socks and folded many shirts. Packing for vacation is a lot of work, but exciting. Packing for a vacation that you’re not going on is just plain tedious.

For ten days, my parents took Michael on the trip of a lifetime. They flew to Miami, enjoying the sights there, before boarding a cruise ship headed into the beautiful waters of the Caribbean. For ten days, I had minimal contact with my boy, only checking in on Facebook here and there when they were able to access a Wi-Fi signal. For ten days, my heart was in the middle of the ocean.

Michael climbed a rope course to the top of the ship, he mastered the water slides and he ate all the ice cream his ten-year-old belly could hold. He danced with flamingos in Nassau and swam in Magens Bay, one of the world’s most beautiful beaches.

Since he has now experienced all there is in the world of cruises, he now considers himself an expert. Upon returning home, he told stories of friendships made, bruises received and memories to last a lifetime. He has dubbed himself a “cruise guy,” saying that is now his preferred mode of experiencing the world.

He gets his love of travel from me. While he was out experiencing “the time of his life,” I was stuck at home, wishing I was there with him. This kid is surely lucky. He’s already experienced so much in his ten years, things I have dreamed to do my entire life. I just hope next time, instead of Grandma and Grandpa, he doesn’t mind sailing the seas with Mom.