Instagram vs Real Life

Instagram shows our smiling family traveling to colorful cultural destinations. Which is true.

Also true is the many moments in-between. I love my family so much and couldn’t be more grateful to be on this journey with them. We are learning in the real world, together. Whether that’s navigating the subway or ordering at a restaurant, every minute is an adventure.

But we’re also together. Like just us. A lot. For Matt and me, it’s amazing, but for the boys, things blow up. They get on each other’s nerves, they need attention or sleep or a bathroom when the other is on a different wavelength. And they don’t have school or friends to distract them, so they fight. It’s exhausting and distracting and sometimes overwhelming.

I want them to learn to be there for each other, to look after each other as they would their closest friends…to help build each other up rather than cut down. But it just doesn’t always work that way, and I guess I just have to accept that.

They’ll be back to life with their friends soon enough, where they can spend time with the kids they choose to be with. For now, we will quell the worst of their bickering and remind them over, and over, and over again that they’re lucky to be on this trip!