"Do we have air in the tires? Do we have gas in the tires?"
When you're 3-years-old and heading out on a cross country adventure, these are the important questions to ask! We had a thousand miles ahead of us and my little guy just wanted to make sure Mom was prepared. That's right, it's just me and a toddler making this trek across the country.
"I could never do that!"
That was the reaction of almost every mom that I told about this summer trip from Atlanta, Georgia to St. Johnsbury, Vermont. 1,592 miles, twelve states and one toddler.
"Are we taking the high road?"
Another gem of a question from my little guy before we even crossed into Tennessee, and a bit more profound than I was prepared for. But, in part, that is why I am taking this trip. Nine months ago, I left my beloved Vermont and my favorite journalism gig to support my husband's career. Often, I have questioned whether taking the high road was the best decision. But, since I did, and I don't work full-time, I figured, why not go on a cross country adventure? We've got the time and family to visit along the way. Plus, there was a promise of seeing his favorite animals at the Indianapolis Zoo.
"Do you love I Spy?"
This came less than a hour into the trip. Honestly, I don't love I Spy, but I love having a conversation with my little guy, hearing him sing "Puff" his favorite Peter, Paul and Mary song and listening to him play pretend with his dinosaurs in the back seat. There's a slew of toys, but no iPad.
Yup, "this girl is crazy!" I am doing this trip without videos.
We aren't screen free at home, but there's something really nostalgic about car travel and kids. I have such fond memories of my Mom taking sandwich orders from out of the cooler, between the two front seats, in our van. And, playing barbies around my sleeping brother in the back where we fit a mattress and two kids (this was pre seatbelts). My friends laughed at me when I said we played presidents and state capitals to pass the time (that sandwich making mom was a history teacher).
For me, it wasn't really about where we were going, it was about being together on an adventure!
My oldest brother is 50 now and the rest of us aren't far behind in our 40's. Time passes so quickly and there's a small window of opportunity to make these kind of memories. They come from a simple place in time that seems far away, but one that I'm determined to have my son experience. So, screen free, to the best of our ability! We've made it to Pennsylvania with just 30 minutes of Simple Songs on Youtube. You may have guessed, I have an unfair advantage. My little guy is a great traveller (he falls asleep on take off in airplanes). But, just minutes into our trip, even he made me wonder if those moms were right.
Just a mile from our home, we saw a cow and my little guy cheered, "We're in Vermont!"
Not quite, but like all of my journeys, I felt God winking. We had a long way to go to get to the place that will always be home, but we can make memories along the way to make this road special too!
#itrunsdeep