I know it?s not manly to admit you miss your parents, but I do. It has been about five months since I last saw them in November, before they packed up their wagon and moved to Florida.

I?ll be seeing them over Spring Break and getting reacquainted with their lives. Nothing has really changed for me since they left, but they are experiencing a new world and meeting new friends.I?ve been apart from them before, but I always knew that I could see them if I wished, since they lived 45 minutes away. But it?s kind of frightening to accept the fact that they live on the other side of the country and stick their feet in a different ocean.

They say Florida is a nice place except for the humidity. My parents love it so far. They told me about the manatees and the Grapefruit League and the Major League baseball spring training. They?ve been to Cape Canaveral and visited the beaches and can?t wait to show me around when I arrive. But all I really want to do is step off the plane and give ?em a big hug. Not very dramatic or exciting, but something that I need.

Hopefully, they are really as happy as they seem.

I also can?t wait to see our chocolate lab, Cocoa. I know she?ll be excited to see me and will greet me with the exuberance of an old friend, licking my face and rolling on her back so I can scratch it. Seems strange, doesn?t it? The mundane things we take for granted every day that give us such simple pleasures. I almost miss the brown dog hair and drool on the leg of my pants.I hope my mom makes me a good home cooked meal; I could really use some real food after consuming mainly fast food and the chunks of food that I?ve found underneath the cushions of my sofa for the past six months.

Before this starts to sound like a sappy Craig Wilson column from USA Today, I should mention that I will be spending time at Daytona Beach, consuming adult beverages and soaking up some of that Florida sun. I?ll let you know how the water is.After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but there is no way that will compare with seeing my parents on the cusp of their new lives. By now, I am sure they are settled into their daily routines and the new house is all situated.

It?s odd that the older you get the more you miss your parents and stop taking them for granted. I don?t think I would have felt this way four or five years ago. When I turned 18, I moved to Eugene, Ore. and, even though I was 400 miles away, I didn?t miss my parents as much as I do now.

Have any travel advice for Matt Wagar? E-mail him at [email protected].