We FaceTime and Skype. My two older kids got iPods for their birthdays, so they can FaceTime their dad whenever they need him. They always get a six o'clock call right after dinner, and I make sure I talk to each child. Even my 1-year-old gets on the phone and says 'Daddy.' They know my schedule by now and count the days back until I get home.
Being away from my family for six months a year - even if it was in the beautiful surroundings of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean - was just too hard.
Anyone that has a job that takes them away from home, I think, can understand the difficulties in maintaining consistency, not only with your family and those you love but with your friends.
You see much more of your children once they leave home.
Parents cannot be in the same physical space as their children at all times.
I can be a friend from a million miles away. I can play basketball in China. The only thing I can't do is be a father. I missed my kids' first basketball game. I missed birthdays. I can talk to you from a million miles away, but I was missing the dad part of life.
I talk to my mom like any other kid talks to their mom when they live across the country. You call home and check in about what you ate for your breakfast or if I went for a run that day or if I was in a fight with my friend. It's so normal.
I have a house here in California and come back every month and a half to see my kids. And they come to New York.
I have a son in Barcelona whom I am madly in love with.
We had to be parents by long distance, which is far from satisfactory.
My personal situation is related to the city of Madrid. My two children live there with their mum.
It breaks my heart that I don't see my daughters every day, don't get to hug them and brush their hair.
I think the biggest challenge when I'm on the road is being away from my family.
I'm well in touch with my family, my children. I keep them on my answer phone, so if I want to hear one of their voices, all I have to do is punch it up and it will be there.
That's the real work, being away from my loved ones, my family, my household. There's nothing that's hurt any more than being away from my little girl and missing days, but I'm lucky.
I wasn't able to see my son as much as I wanted. I thought it would be easy living on my own, do what I want and then travel up to Manchester to see my son, but it wasn't like that.
My son lives in Nicaragua. My daughters live in the United States.
Even though I don't live at home and I'm four hours away from home, I talk to my mom every day - ask how the kids are doing, ask how she's doing, too.
Being away from home for six months of the year and seeing your kids grow up on Skype all that time - I think I saw Molly walk for the first time on Skype. That's not good.
I can bring Rain with me everywhere I go, but when she's in school, I don't know what I'll do. The longest I've been away from her is three days, and I cried my eyes out. The first day of school will be so hard.
It took a toll when I couldn't see my mom as much.
Why can't I love him (a 2 yr old nephew) from afar? That's how I want to love him - through pictures and folklore.
