It’s been a while since we planned to travel and see my parents. In fact, since our wedding, we’ve only managed to visit them once. After the birth of our child, we haven’t gone at all, though they did come around during the naming ceremony.
Honestly, apart from the distance, which I believe shouldn’t really be a barrier, there have been so many factors limiting us from travelling. Work is always there, and then other responsibilities keep coming up.
One thing about me is that I don’t like to travel empty-handed. It doesn’t sit right with me. I know visiting your parents shouldn’t be about gifts, but to me, it feels necessary to always go with something reasonable. It makes me happier and more at peace.
I’ve had this conversation with my husband several times in the past. He usually promises that we’ll make the trip during festive periods or when he’s on leave, and I try to understand his point of view. Truly, he’s thinking about the financial aspect, too. There’s no way he would travel without spending on fuel, buying one or two things, and still giving something to the family. Men carry responsibilities on their shoulders every single day, so as an understanding wife, I know when not to disturb or nag about it.
After a lot of back-and-forth discussions, we finally decided to travel today. My husband wasn’t exactly excited about it, but he agreed anyway. I promised to spend about a week at home with my parents, though my husband will have to return tomorrow because of work.
We left Lagos around 3:00 p.m. and got to Ibadan at about 5:30 p.m. But our final destination was still quite a distance away, roughly another 70 kilometres. By 6:30 p.m., we finally arrived, tired but relieved, and I was so happy to be home again.
I will share more about the journey tomorrow. I just wanted to at least put something here today since I don't like missing a day without blogging.