I miss you terribly: Part 5

I miss you terribly, Husband #2, especially now that I’m getting restless.  My wanderlust is fighting me.  I long to go…

Usually by this time of the year I have the winter vacation already mapped out and am just settling on the last little details…like tours to try, restaurants that look like they might be great for a romantic dinner, or just a general idea of a walking route.  Husband #2 didn’t involve himself in the planning of vacations.  It was all my doing.  I love the anticipation leading up to the day of departure.

It hasn’t helped that Son #1’s showing me photos of his girlfriend’s cousin skydiving out of a plane over The Netherlands.  Or another photo of him hiking through the wilds of New Zealand.  What’s with this guy?  Why does he get to hang out in far off places while I sit here watching my bank account balance slowly recede as I wait patiently for that first paycheck to roll in.

Norwegian has a monster flight deal.  Fly from New York City to Oslo non-stop for $420 round trip!   I always wanted to go to Norway, especially after watching the 1994 Winter Olympics.  I love how the Norwegians embrace their chilly weather and don’t let it stop them from enjoying  the great outdoors.  So what if Norway only gets 4-5 hours of sunlight in the winter…Those Christmas lights will look all the prettier.  No green wires to ugly things up during the day.  Well, you’d only see them for 5 hours anyways.

And here’s where I miss you terribly, Husband #2.

I would have been able to turn to him and say, “Hey, let’s hang out with the Norwegian Lutherans this Christmas!” and he would have enjoyed being my travel partner.  He probably would have grumbled about the cold…until I reminded him of his early days growing up in Minnesota.  He would have complained about the flight over, but gladly let me have the window seat so I could press my face against the glass as I let him sleep in the center seat, lulled off to dreamland by the drone of the engines.  He would have tried every Scandinavian beer, as I scrunched up my face at the smell of hops.  As is our tradition when traveling, I would have slept on his side of the bed and he on mine.  Crazy!  And through all our little differences we would have walked hand-in-hand through the park to the Royal Palace or to a small café for coffee and chai tea, which is something that we were in the habit of doing when out and about in cities near and far.

How is it that coffee lovers end up marrying tea lovers?

I want to go to Oslo.  I hear the city calling me.  I want to visit the Viking Ship Museum and the National Gallery and Vigeland Sculpture Park and the Museum of Science & Technology.  But I don’t want to do it alone.  I’m not ready to travel by myself.  I don’t want to be in a strange city without him.  I know he would have loved to see the Viking ships most of all.

I’m not ready to travel alone.  Because, in the midst of all the fun, being with Husband #2 made me feel safe.  Even when he would drag me to some of the crustier parts of our vacation spots just so he could explore a side street.

So for now, I’ll stay put, tuck the idea of Oslo into my wish list of places to go, and check my bank account balance to see if my first paycheck has arrived yet.