The Empty Nest, the Boyfriend, and the Trip I’ll Remember Until My Last Breath

I have an admission to make: parenting adult daughters is a rollercoaster I wasn't entirely prepared for.

Don't get me wrong, I love my girls. But navigating this stage of life is bittersweet. One of our daughters packed up and moved out last August, leaving an empty bedroom and a heavy silence, empty chair at the table that I miss every single day. Meanwhile, our second daughter has had a steady boyfriend for two years now. I don’t like him! He’s okay. Lol.

Between the empty nest and the boyfriends, you start to realize how quickly your kids are slipping into their own independent worlds.

Because of my work as a photographer, I travel a bit for sessions. Every year over Labor Day weekend, I head out to Las Vegas for a four-day photography gig. It’s strictly business, not a vacation. In the past, I’d fly in and out, sometimes catching a show if it’s in the hotel where I’m staying. I’ve asked our daughter Ally if she wanted to meet me in Vegas. Year after year, she’s had other plans. But this year, she said yes.

I can honestly tell you it was the best time I have ever spent sharing one-on-one time with my daughter. If you are struggling with the transition of your kids growing up and moving on, I cannot recommend a trip like this enough.

We crammed a lifetime of memories into a few short days. On Friday night, we treated ourselves to an incredible dinner at Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen.

Saturday, we were in a helicopter, flying out over the desert, and actually landing right inside the Grand Canyon. Seeing it in person was incredible—in fact, standing there together looking at that massive view left both of us wanting to come back and see it all over again.

On Sunday, we headed to Allegiant Stadium to watch the Raiders take on the Dolphins. Now, the game itself didn't exactly turn out the way I had hoped. But that stadium is easily one of the absolute top venues in the NFL. I actually knew my way around it fairly well—last year, the same client hired me to shoot the Darius Rucker concert there in front of 3,000 people.

But my professional history there isn't the point.

The point is the quiet, uninterrupted time I got to spend with Ally. Away from the distractions of daily life, the boyfriends, and the schedules, it was just us. It is a gift I will remember and cherish until my very last breath. My only hope now is that it left just as lasting of a memory for her as it did for me.

Time flies by faster than we can comprehend, and before you know it, the house is quiet. If you're waiting for the "perfect" moment to connect with your grown family, stop waiting. Make the time, book the trip, and buy the plane ticket. You will never, ever regret it.

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The Empty Nest, the Boyfriend, and the Trip I’ll Remember Until My Last Breath

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