Someone once told me that a vacation is packing 7 suitcases, your mother in law, and the dog and saying it’s great to get away from it all…
Well we didn’t bring any moms, except me of course, or the dog! But it is true about the mountain of stuff we brought. I have a problem with packing…I pack everything!! I problem would pack the kitchen sink if it wasn’t permanently in place…
Anyways, the point of all of this is to share my experience when driving with family.
- My boys are 10 & 8, they are past the whole “I need to go to the bathroom and I need to go now” stage. You think that would awesome? Well, they have gotten older and guess what? So has my bladder. Which means I can’t hold it like i used to anymore. So now I am the one that gets the eye rolls and “not again” because I need to stop at every 200 miles. Be prepared parents of small child that can’t hold their bladders, because as soon as they are old enough to be able to, you might not be able to anymore.
- You never really know your spouse until you spend 16 hours, crowded in a minivan, and fearing for your life while he/she drives. I love my husband I really do, and I know he loves me. But we can’t stand how each other drives. I feel like he moves slower than pond water, he thinks I drive like a crazed maniac. So our driving conversation goes something this “watch out for that car!” “Do you not know what a blinker is?” “If you’re thirsty quit rummaging around for something, I will get it!” “Do you even pay attention when you drive?” Etc. Or if there isn’t any talking then we get to hear the sweet sounds of each other snoring.
- Are we there yet? I didn’t hear that much until the last hour of driving. And then it was, what are we gonna do when we get there? Will we be able to get in the pool? What are we eating for dinner? When do we have to go to bed? What time will we have to get up? How many souvenirs can we buy? My kids never talked to me this much…not in one day! This is like a whole weeks quota for them. It was refreshing and a little frustrating at times.
And there you have it. Overall it was a great drive and we made great time. It wasn’t as bad as I thought…but I do prefer to fly…that’s only a few hours in cramped quarters with my family…Not only did I spend 16 hours in a car with them, I have to spend all week with them to…All good things, All good things! =)
