Off on Safari

Posted May 8, 2017 by Prairie Wife - 4 comments

Yesterday at 4am The Cowboy left for Africa.

It’s been in the works for over a year, and has been on his bucket list for as long as I’ve known him.

Last year at a charity event he took a leap of faith (pressured by me) and bid on this African Safari…and won!

A few weeks later I underwent my mastectomy surgery and the rest of the year was spent with a non stop surgery and recovery schedule. Thanks to our beloved Mary Poppins, The Cowboy’s burden was much less than it would have been but, it was still a hard year for him.

So, I’m thrilled he gets to go on this adventure and I couldn’t be happier to be the one to help him cross this off his bucket list.

In true Cowboy fashion, other than getting his shots, he did nothing to prepare for this trip until this week!

He will be gone for 12 days and packed exactly two sets of clothes.

He assures me that’s all he will need. I don’t envy whomever he sits next to on the plane ride home.

He filled his suitcase up with gifts for the locals including CAT hats, gum, fruit snacks and 4 pairs of soccer cleats for the local teenagers.

As an experienced hunting widow of over a decade I know that everything will be find for the first 5 days and then it will be a slow and steady stumbling count down until his return.

I’ve booked an extra day a week with our preschool/daycare to ensure that I get a bit of mental health/workout time. The first day I plan to exercise and then wallow and watch TV and do nothing productive at all. The next extra day I have a few appointments and then maybe lunch with a friend…who knows what I’ll be up to by next week.

I’m also going to be the fun mom and pull the Cowkids out of school and do a movie and lunch.

I’ll need extra strength this weekend as Cowgirl G has her ballet recital. This means hours of dress rehearsal (and keeping the other 4 Cowkids entertained) and then the next day will be the big event that will also be hours long. It’s well worth it when I see my sweet girl’s smile as we cheer her on at the end but, I can’t lie, it can be exhausting!

And of course…I’m going to miss The Cowboy.

After all, we’ve been a couple for 16 years, I kinda like the guy.

He should be able to email every few days, and maybe even call a few times.

The Cowkids are thrilled to have daddy headed to Africa and have spent hours discussing his possible adventures. Cowboy W has been begging him to bring home a baboon blanket, and I’m hoping that is NOT going to happen.

So far, day one has gone pretty well and as for the next 11…well…wish me luck!

Categories: Life As It Happens, Prairie Life

Tags: , Africa, bucket list, Hunting, hunting widow, safari