A Lesson in Letting Go; A Message From Our Founder
Airport wine tastes amazing, so I ordered a glass of red and opened my laptop. Sitting in the airport bar, it finally hit me that I was leaving for Europe. Just as soon as I entered final grades, responded to ten emails, delivered that research project and coordinated a couple playdates. I sipped the wine, contemplating the mixed emotions I had about this departure. I set my out-of-office for the first time in years, wondering why the guilt about leaving outweighed the excitement.
Leading up to this trip, I had been living in a chaotic frenzy of work/WORTH activities, deadlines and commitments. On the home front, I was failing to keep up with my kids’ schedule, which can seem even more hectic than mine. I was completely and utterly depleted, my burnout staring me in the face. I really needed a break, but felt terrible about leaving my kids behind.
Twelve hours later I would find myself in Split, Croatia for the Women in Tourism Scientific Conference. There, I presented our findings from the Seat at the Table study. As I was gathered with academics from 24 countries for this incredible event, I couldn’t help but think, “I found my people”. I was grateful to share the work of WORTH Association on an international stage and took pride in what we’ve achieved in five years.
After a long season of burnout, it was the boost I needed. I left the conference inspired and determined, but recognized we have a long road ahead for gender equity in the industry. Just like the busy pass at a restaurant or the flip of a banquet room, we need a collective call of “hands!” to get more people involved. We can’t do this on our own.
We’re pleased to share that we've added more hands at WORTH Association. In March, we hired Tash McLeod, our first Program Coordinator. We also built an Advisory Board, with industry experts to help us on our way. But we always need more volunteers, sponsors and partners in this work. If you want to get involved, we’d love to have you on board. Fill out our volunteer form and we will get in touch to share opportunities in marketing, partnerships, events and more.
After the conference, my husband flew to Croatia to meet me for a kid-free holiday. Funny, he didn’t seem to carry the same guilt I did. We called in our village to help us with the kids and they thrived. So did we, enjoying the break we badly needed. Thanks to the magic of technology, we had many Facetime calls, shared photos and received live baseball and hockey score updates from other parents.
Mom guilt comes with the feeling that you’re not doing enough for your kids. I had to get away from it all to realize my kids likely need me to do less. They need me rested, recharged and ready to take on all the things that life throws our way. They need me to ask for help so I’m not trying to do it all myself. That’s exactly what the conference and vacation allowed for. I could even bring them along to the next conference destination… or not. My hope is this issue makes you feel less alone and provides some helpful tips to make things even a bit easier on you.
Joanna