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my husband went on his annual fishing/camping trip with his best buddies. he has been going on this adventure for the past 13 years. I was bestowed The Good Wife award the first year I was married, because I Let Him Go on the trip. initially it was very hard for me to say goodbye to him. he told me many times that he was going "not to get away" but to just be, and recenter himself within the world.after many years of him going on his trip, I read a christian book describing a mans need to go "into the wilderness;to hunt and fish because it was What Man Did. what he has known since the beginning of time. reading this made sense to me and helped my understanding of why my husband like to go. usually by midweek, the time away from him became easier and well, everyone knows what happens after humpday. the week goes by much quicker and so the time passed. I have never told him could not go and he has only missed 3 trips; one for each child and one year he went goose hunting to canada...eh.
for some reason this year was much easier. maybe it was that I was able to talk to him every day, sometimes twice a day. maybe it was because my boys were older and we just went out and did things together, whether it was running errands, or playing games. but this was the easiest year by far.

he returned early this morning and the vibe among the men was joy, the feelings of an enjoyable week filled with Male Bonding, great fishing, and just plain good times. I knew then and there that this was part of him, it was in his blood and no matter how much I did not want him to go, he always would. and he would come back a better man than when he left. and for that I am grateful.