Kathryn Brown: Trying to keep the trains at home running on time - from South Korea

This is my first blog, and one I’ve been trying to write for about six months now!

You’d think writing a blog about my life would be easy, since I’m a professional writer. But that’s just it – I write stories about OTHER people! So when it comes to writing about me … my family … putting my parenting adventures (and misadventures!) out there for public scrutiny … I FREEZE!

Still, I try to constantly push myself out of my comfort zone, and I am embracing my newest venture.

So, since I’m new to this, allow me to introduce myself.

I’m Kathryn. I have a husband, three kids (a six-year-old son and two-year-old twin daughters), two (senior) pups, and – recently – a rotating number of fish. :P

I anchor the evening news at WRAL Monday through Friday. I am blessed and fortunate to be able to honestly say that I love my job and I love my life. That doesn’t mean every day is not a scramble to keep up!

Around our house, as I suspect it is in most houses with kids, we are CONSTANTLY on the run. Shuttling the kids to hockey, dance, baseball, birthday parties, school, trying to squeeze in a date night every now and then … and everything in between!

Some days it feels we never stop. And - my fitness tracker proves it! As a mom who works outside the home, I personally feel a lot of the pressure to “keep the trains running on time” so to speak. To keep the kids bathed and brushed and organized and wearing clean clothes and safe and ….…. The list goes on and on.

I AM fortunate. My husband is incredible, and the wonderful woman who takes care of our family while we work is an absolute godsend. Still, as a mom, I feel a tremendous weight … a pressure that never seems to go away.

Which is probably why I’m feeling particularly stressed out right now.

Soon, I’ll travel to South Korea for most of February to cover the Winter Olympics. What a fabulous opportunity!!!! Still, when my boss first approached me eight months ago, I had mixed feelings. I was flattered by the opportunity. As a journalist, of course I want to go and experience this incredible adventure. As someone who loves to travel, I am practically drooling at the chance to explore another corner of this amazing planet.

As a mom – I am scared to death to leave.

The debate in our house has been lengthy and – I like to think -- well thought out. My family is on board, which is great because I couldn’t do it without their support. And I am in a comfortable place. But ……. there is a lot to think about.

As a mom, as the one who “keeps the trains running on time,” I’m trying to pre-plan for everything. I have scheduled an extended visit from Nana, playdates, birthday parties and babysitters. I have scraped pennies together to pay for someone to come and clean the house a few times (because although I love my husband tremendously….I can’t leave that to him. He has other strengths J).

I have done everything I can possibly think of … and yet, I am terrified I haven’t done enough. I know there will be things that come up. Because with three kids, there just WILL be. Someone will get sick. Someone will have a bad day at school. Someone will get hurt. I KNOW this.

Mentally, I am trying to prepare. Emotionally, I am struggling to prepare.

I’m planning to do fun things for my son’s class at school. I’ll send back videos and pictures from South Korea so they can experience it along with me. I’m going to leave fun notes and treats for the kids to find while I’m gone. We will Facetime constantly. Will it be enough? I don’t know. I can only do my best and hope so.

And, when my kids ask why I have to be gone so long, I tell them it is because I love them, but I also love my job. And part of my job is getting to be on the front lines of history – wherever that may be. And part of loving THEM is teaching them to take the opportunities that present themselves, and FLY.

We get to live on a wonderful, fascinating, diverse, beautiful planet that is ours to explore. And we should take the amazing opportunities we’re given and make the most of them. This is what I’ll tell my kids, and what I truly believe.

But after I do, I might cry a little.