I’ve lost count of how many long trips we’ve taken as a family, but it’s, on average, more than most;). We left Texas about 3 days ago, and if I’m honest, I think I was a little arrogant as to how well and easy this 40-hour haul would go….
Isn’t it natures way to help us forget trauma so that we will move on and potentially do it all over again? Like, having kids, for instance – would anyone have a second baby if we remembered the experience in full? (Although I did only give birth once, lucky for me, it was a 2 for 1 deal….so maybe it’s all just talk;).
I’m pretty sure that’s what happened to us this time. Ya, like stuffing 2 adults, 2 – 7 year olds that now have opinions, and 2 geriatric dogs that just happen to be suffering from some stress colitis…..(If you’re unfamiliar, how lucky are you?) in a vehicle for days on end would be Fun, is quite the stretch of optimism!! Oh ya, and we’re hauling a 26′ trailer with a car and all of our beloved Texan possessions, so no coffee drive thru’s for this family.
We have decided to come home a completely different route, and I can tell you that that choice has been delightful. The thought of driving through Wyoming again made my eye twitch… Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with Wyoming, BUT there’s also not a lot of right with it either….sorry, Wyoming!
Like most people, Nick and I have experienced all levels of stress. I can say first hand that the stress we feel when we’re on an interstate and someone yells, MOM!!!!! I’ve got to poop – It’s an emergency, is unmatched!! – Okay, can you hold it???? Nooooooo, It’s commmminnngggg. Your only option is to pull over, on the skinniest shoulder, only to weigh your options: Get hit by an oncoming car OR ride the rest of the trip in a truck that smells like poop. It’s an easy choice!!! You get out and leave some collateral damage!!!
I was able to get my s**t together before we left and stocked up on super valuable road trip surprises . Thank goodness!!! I can’t imagine getting through this trip without having bribery tools. Trust me, the power of a colouring book is unmatched!! If I sense a fight brewing, I pipe up and say those magical words, who wants a road trip surprise? We do have rules, though – If you ask for one, then I wait even longer between bribes;). The last thing I want to hear, in addition to everything else, is – Mom, can I have a road trip surprise??!!!
I forgot how stressful it can be to book hotel rooms!! Something so simple, but to find places that accept 2 horse sized dogs can be a challenge. I’ve come to the conclusion that if you’re far enough away from Gunner, he might look 50 lbs, you agree, right?? 50 lbs is a common limit for hotel rooms, apparently, and I double dare anyone to ask Gunny about his weight;). It’s 130, by the way….eek!!!
I should clarify that it’s now day 3, and we have found our groove, and we have turned this trip around. We spent a day in Moab, UT, and all I can say is that we will be back!! It’s such a cool place. It’s like Revelstoke and Mars had a baby!!!
The experience that I love most about road trips is listening to the kids chat away with each other – it’s like they forget that we can hear them and it’s such a cool way to discover more about them. We are lucky and get to spend a lot of time with our kids, but now that they are on summer holidays, we get to see more of their new personalities. Pretty cool!!
I know that the last thing that we will do in this life is regret these trips. While we’re in the grind, we try to remind ourselves that we are on borrowed time with these cool people!! I mean, they’re cool, but not always nice to us, you know what I mean, right?? They’re still dependents!! Like, mom – I need this and that and oh can you reach me this and I can’t believe you didn’t do that perfectly, ugh, I’m hungry – starving even but I’m not going to eat that sandwich!!! Oh, kids are fun;).
We are heading back to Canada and will be homeless as of June 30th – We have no idea what the next year looks like, or even where we will live but what we do know is that, Home is where we all are. That’s what the kids tell us all the time, which makes us extremely proud of them. I asked them the other day if they’d rather us buy a big house or buy a small house so that we can travel all the time and they didn’t hesitate – SMALL HOUSE!! Let me tell you, I breathed a sigh of relief!!!
Willard Family Adventures 