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Over the Pond: Balancing Fears and Trust on a 20-Hour Journey to Playa del Carmen | Day 292 of my 2023 Journal

Cecilie Conrad·Oct 20, 2023

Over the pond!

It WAS a long journey. And there WERE a few bumps. Now, it is early morning; I am on the balcony looking at Playa del Carmen waking up, the light arriving, and soon, I suppose, the heat.

From getting up in a house in Coma Ruga to going to bed 20 hours later on another continent was, of course, full of small and big events. Yesterday, I wrote about carrying fears. Favorite clothes - because you are afraid of being uncomfortable or looking awkward, a coffee maker because instant makes me depressed.

The challenge of fear is always relevant for the perpetual traveler, and the long move here was no exception. Finding the balance between attention to detail and trusting the process is the interesting part.

We do need to pay attention to how we can meet our calorie needs with our restricted diet being trapped on an airplane for more than 12 hours, and we do need to come prepared for border controls; we have to make sure we have enough water and turn off data on our phones upon landing in a new country.

Yes.

But we do just as much need to trust the process. It will be alright. Most often, all of our worries, in the end, do not happen, and even when they do, they are not real problems, just bumps on the road.

Yes, it was a very long flight, especially for the dogs. But it was alright. No one suffered.

Yes, we had to work a bit to obtain the Visa, as we do not have a ticket out of Mexico.

Yes, the control of the dog papers took forever, and there were non-perfect details.

Yes, we did use a lot of expensive data to get from the airport to the apartment.

But hey. Everyone was helpful, and most moments were nice.

I enjoyed reading my book on the plane; I enjoyed the descent in the sunset, going through the beautiful clouds. I enjoyed watching a movie with my son and sleeping on my husband's lap.

I enjoyed overcoming my fear of borders (yes, I have that) and was grateful for my Spanish skills going through all the documents.

In the end, we found our way to the Airbnb, did some shopping, had a meal and a shower, and crashed on the beds. And all was good.

With love

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Cecilie Conrad

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Unschooling and Parent consulting, conversations, blogposts, and podcasts on family life and learning

Hi, I'm Cecilie Conrad. I'm a trained psychologist, mother of four, radical unschooler and full-time traveller. I have lived with unschooling for over a decade and help other families find their own path – whether it is about homeschooling, unschooling, or the bigger question of how you want to live as a family.

I offer guidance, conversations and talks. I call my work grandmothering – not coaching in the traditional sense, but presence, professional insight and concrete help navigating motherhood and finding your way home to your own values.

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