expectations – On the Horizon Line

on the horizon line travel blog tonga island language beaches

Community and Culture, Reflections on Life

Parent For One Week

So, what do you really need to be a parent for a week? Turns out you need a lot less when you’re in Tonga, a tropical island-nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Hell, kids don’t even need shoes in Tonga. I discovered this within the first hour of a week-long babysitting gig my husband and I set up here.

As the days wore on, I realized shoes were just the beginning of the long list of things the boys didn’t need … things that were on my list of “what I will probably need to raise a kid” after three decades of living in the United States. We had none of the things on my list. Read more about our week of pseudo-parenting here!

brianna randall eating a mango - on the horizon line sailing

Family and Friends, Reflections on Life

A List of 10 Favorites – Here and There.

What I’m most looking forward to when we get there (and by “there,” I mean latitudes south of Montana and places more salty than not).

Remembering my dreams again.
Mangos and avocados.
Watching the stars and sun move across the sky.
Counting birds and dolphins.
Bioluminescence.
Time to meditate.
Humidity.
New cuisines, new cultures, new friends.
Having time to really listen.
Dancing on the bow of the sailboat.

What I’ll miss most about being here (and by “here,” I mean our home in the beautiful Rocky Mountain town of MisSOULa, Montucky).

My sister. And my parents. Cassidy and I have never been apart longer than 6 months, and I imagine the hole left in my heart without her nearby will ache often.
Girlfriends.
Mountains, and the crystal-clear creeks that flow from them.
Our dog.
Family dinners, followed by hilarious music jam sessions.
Baths.
Our couch (it’s seriously awesome) and king-sized bed.
The lack of bugs and infectious diseases.
Biking.
Watching the kids we love grow up.