Momcation in today’s connected world makes it really hard to disconnect from home. It takes a purposeful act of will to leave it behind.

Momcation Starts off Strong

At home, I walk.  I walk almost every day of the week, out my front door, walking at least 7000 steps before coming home and making breakfast.  While away, I was determined to keep up my daily steps, especially since I also intended to thoroughly enjoy food!

One Minor Downside to Momcations

Yeah, 7K steps every morning before setting out on my travel thing?  That didn’t happen.  It happened exactly once this trip – this morning.  And I don’t even have anyone to blame, because I’m traveling all by myself!  (Note to self:  found first downside of my momcation – whatever it is is my fault!)  So don’t be too impressed.  Just enjoy it in this one post.  I must just resign myself because this morning routine never holds up when I travel.  HOWEVER, I take great comfort that someone else understands this, because I recently ran across This Blog Post by Girl with the Passport (who always cracks me up) and laughed out loud while I read it.  I’ve got #11 lie, “I will keep up with my fitness goals!”

So anyway, the first morning, I was up and out.  I started with a stroll through Place des Armes, and around the Chateau Frontenac – the morning light comes across the St. Lawrence and hits on the Terrasse side in the morning.

So, I decided to walk the Terrasse Dufferin, and lapped it  back and forth a few times, occasionally stopping for a picture or to just watch the river go by.

The Dufferin Terrace was built by Lord Dufferin in 1879, and is very reminiscent of the Parisian streets, with their benches and lighting, perfect for strolling and being seen that was so important at the time – and for some, still is.  As I get there before 7am, the place is deserted, and I’m free to walk the length and enjoy the views pretty uninterrupted.

At the end of the Terrasse, I find the stairs, and realize that this is the Promenade des Gouverneurs.  It’s labeled on printed and google maps, and I had looked at it several times thinking it just looked like a continuation of the Terrasse Dufferin, and why are they two different things?  Ah, I see.

Getting Serious about the Fitness

The Promenade des Gouverneurs is not a continuing Terrasse, or a walking path around the Citadelle.  It’s steps.  Lots and lots (and lots) of steps!  I head up a the steps, hit a landing/lookout, then continue up the next set, and find this:

It’s has a beautiful view, and is a lovely spot to pause, but as you see, the steps just continue on up.  So I keep going.  My thighs and calves start protesting, asking exactly what kind of morning walk I decided to go on this morning, anyway? I came to a straight away, which seems promising for a moment, and then the steps start again at the end.  up and down, indeed, around the Citadelle.

Daily Life Reaches Out to My Momcation

As I’ve been walking and walking, my phone has been buzzing and buzzing in my pocket, so I finally dig it out.  Sigh.  Mom might be away, but she is not at all out of contact.

Older daughter is being asked to pet-sit from this date to this date… are we going to be home so she can say yes?  I check the dates – with our schedules it’s a valid question.  Yep, we’re home, say yes.  She’s happy.

Younger daughter’s riding instructor is group texting her and I, unaware that I’m away, asking if she could come over and help hold the horses for the farrier this morning?  I read that and know darn well that particular child will not be up before 10am unless there is someone forcing her up, so she’s not seeing this text.  But she would also want to go help.  But big sister is already up and texting me, so I fire off a text to older sister, asking her to go in and wake up younger sister, and tell her riding instructor is texting.  Within 5 minutes, younger daughter is texting back instructor that she will be there, and I see the conversation go from there.

Oh!  And Mom is texting, asking if we can come to a final July 4th party at her house sometime the week of the 4th, since she’s selling the house and moving somewhere smaller.  The siblings and cousins and family in that state all want to ‘say goodbye’ to the house.  Oh well, crap.  That’s the week I JUST, literally minutes ago, told older daughter we would be home and she could pet-sit.  So conversation ensues about exactly what date, no one knows yet, let’s loop a few more people in…

Hey, good news!  Message from the literature co-op I’m putting the girls in next year.  They had the meeting last night, and a I got my top three pics of books to teach – the text comes through.

For some reason that reminds me, Lydia has an eye appointment today at noon.  Maybe the reading connection triggers the thought.  That’s one of those things that I always take care of.  Husband can get absorbed in work, I should text him and make sure he remembers to take her.  We’ve been having issues with her brand new contacts, and if she winds up going another week without contacts – and then adjusting to putting them back in again, either she or I are going to have a nervous breakdown.  It takes serious emotional, cheer-leader reserves to get that daughter through those appointments.  I send him a reminder text.  He responds pretty quickly that he remembers, I shouldn’t worry, he’ll take her.  (And he did.)

And a friend texts, my daughter and her son have been planning.  Can she come with them to an amusement park a few days after I return?  I check the calendar…

French tutor texts…

This was not what was supposed to be happening on my momcation…

This is my daily life.  Pretty much all the time.  How did Moms ever survive without a cell phone anyway?  The minutiae.  The back to back bits and pieces that only rarely add up to something notable ‘done’ by the end of the day, but somehow take up nearly all the time.

How to Totally Disconnect, Is That Possible?

By this time, I’ve made my way back to the Terrasse Dufferin.  I’m standing against the railing, occasionally looking at the view, between texts.  My phone goes silent.  I’m away, I’m on my momcation.  But somehow it doesn’t seem as far away as I think it should.  How to totally disconnect?  Is it even possible to really pull myself out of all that goes on, all different circles of people and things I have my hands in?  Is it possible for me to get hubby, or anyone else, totally up-to-date on everything so I don’t need to field these bits for a while?

I decide it’s time to get some of those things done that I intend to do here in Quebec City.  Like try poutine, and see the Ile d’Orleans.  I tucked my phone back in my pocket and start walking.  It buzzes again… and I ignore it.

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I stayed just steps from this view, and it didn’t kill my wallet <<Check it out Here>>

To read more of what I did on the Momcation, <<Go to this page for a listing>>.

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