Faithfulness and Geography

My husband travels about twice a month for work. After 22 years of marriage, these bursts of solitude are a welcome chance to do my own thing, order pizza for the kids and me if I feel like it, see my single friends, stay up late and spread my magazines, books and catalogues all over the bed - while eating chips in bed, too - one of my husbands pet peeves. We're still in love and have lots of couple friends who have also been married for a decade or two.

It always amazes me how many people give me a little wink when they find out he's out of town and say something like "So you're single for a week. Enjoy it." I do usually enjoy it, but not in the way they mean.

I have never been unfaithful to my husband. I just have to imagine seeing the hurt in his eyes and nothing seems worth it.

Is it so common in marriages for partners who love each other to stray, just because of geography? Apparently some people think it's normal, even expected.

A friend of mine's husband is away nine months out of the year producing movies. She never worries about him cheating and he probably doesn't. Yet I have to admit that sometimes I think she is being naïve. Am I being naïve as well? My husband has never given me reason to think he's sleeping around on these trips of his, and it never occurred to me that he might, yet so many people ask me if I ever worry about it.

My answer is a resounding No. And if he does, which I doubt, I don't I want to know about it. I like my life, I like my marriage, I love my husband, and I enjoy my alone time when he's gone. Naïveté? Perhaps. Buy why rock a boat in smooth waters?