How many trips with my daughter are left?

I am currently on a solo weekend trip with my daughter who is 5 years old. We've been doing about 3 solo weekend trips per year since she was 2 years old. 12 trips so far. I wonder how many more solo trips we have left in her lifetime?

Let's assume we're able to keep having one trip a year until she's 13. That doesn't seem like a lot but with school activities, vacation time, visiting family that is a flight away that seems like a reasonable average.

What about after she's 13? It seems like once every 5 years is a more reasonable bet. One of my friends just spent a weekend with her mom for the first time in 30 years! As she grows up, moves away, and has a family of her own it seems that the ability to truly be away with just the two of us will be difficult.

12 trips so far. 8 trips between now and when she's 13. 9 trips between 13 and 46 which is how old she will be when the life expectancy tables tell me I will be dead. That's 29 trips total with 12 already taken.

Here's what that looks like visually:

Total solo weekend trips with my daughter:

o o o o o 
o o o o o 
o o o o o 
o o o o o 
o o o o o
o o o o

Already completed solo weekend trips with my daughter:

x x x x x  
x x x x x  
x x o o o 
o o o o o 
o o o o o
o o o o

40% of the trips in her life with me have already been completed. 40% of the minutes are already gone. People say kids grow up fast but it hits home when you see it visually.


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