Leaving for book talks all over the nation and across national borders is a lot of work. And keeping in touch while away also has its sets of labor. Should I FaceTime the kids, and risk them getting upset about seeing my face but not being able to cuddle up next to me? Should I disrupt the routine the their Papa has set when I’m away with a phone call? Is it possible to be on screen for a bit and then get off without them losing their sh*t?

In my privileged world as a documented person in the US and as a scholar who gets financial support for travel and lodging for book talks, these questions reign supreme. In The Labor of Care, I write about these decision-making processes and the actual work it takes to muster up the time and coordination to make these communication habits regular. Now as a traveling, working mother, these theories have come to life.