I am nervous. I am taking my mom to Ecuador for two weeks. She’s incredibly thrilled. I’m concerned about how I’ll deal with her in a foreign country with no treadmill in sight. On some level, I feel like this will be a healing trip for me; a chance to see my mother as something other than demented. I don’t know why I feel that way, maybe it’s some psychological defense. Thing is, every single time I go home to Phoenix, even for a week, I find myself overwhelmed, in tears, and often contemplating running away to New Zealand. How will I cope abroad? I’m totally open to suggestions here.

Air Dementia departs next month. To be continued.

**UPDATE: the trip had its challenges, a few mom-moments (like when she bolted through immigration), but all in all the trip was very good, enjoyable, and I think healing.