What’s the Point?

This question reappears after the journey. It’s irrelevant as the covering the distance in itself is fun. Time with our three year old was entertaining. She just started to speak and running commentaries from behind the car was unbelievably funny at times. She wakes up every day and asks where we are going and Sheena describes the route with her things in it.  Like a beach, a river or a park. Then she keeps a tab of it until we see it. She loved to eat in restaurants as she got stuffs like soda and fries that were not easily available at home. She had plenty of questions on things she saw and we had plenty of time to answer.   We wake her up early mornings to drive to the next place and she was ready every time.  Then she takes her blanket and sleeps another two-three hours in the car as we cover the distance. She quickly figured out that laying back in a bucket seat during dawn hours and sleeping is a luxury. Even just driving at those hours was a simple joy.  Sometimes we drive past sunset and then she demands her DVD player to watch princess movies.

Cotton Delta, TN

We enforced a no tablet or smartphone use rule during day and Tara complied. Luckily there was no downtime because of cold or flu virus attacks. She went cranky when she was hungry or sleepy and those were the matters we could address easily.  When not looking outside, she drew things on her pad, stuck animal stickers on side windows and stress tested her toy’s musical capabilities. She often offered to participate in our conversations and we were working hard to adlib her sentences.   With a kid around, there is a new world to explore –a world of animals and tiny insects, colorful berries, leaves and candies, trains, trucks, buses  and a lot of friendly strangers she attracts with her tricks.  Just after a day, our concerns of taking her on a long journey disappeared and she was spinning the wheel of fun.

Grand Canyon, AZ

Sheena enjoys the ride in passenger seat and makes running passerby comments. That’s welcome by me and that’s how she ended up driving less than 1,000 miles during the entire trip.  She is a dependable driver and it works especially well when I finish a pitcher of local draft beer or gobble to the levels you doze off in a lazy afternoon. While driving we just talk all the time and topic changes often.  Someone who just called us, billboards on the road, scenery, flashing locations in Navigation, passer by vehicles all grow into large discussion topics. Sometimes Tara had to fight to get her fair share of listening ears.  When we laugh so hard gossiping, Tara gives us this blank look and demands a repeat.  We make up something on the fly and she also pretend to laugh with us.  When we argue, she tries to distract us with something on the street.  I am yet to experience something that binds a small family more than a long road trip. 

Nashville, TN

I had a lot more reasons. I enjoy driving long distances. Our own trips to Canada, Washington D.C and Wyoming made me believe that Road Trips are fun in itself.  And a sense of freedom while moving forward is refreshing.  The morning driving gives a rush of energy that beats the best coffee I so far drank. Everything else – food, drinks, sightseeing, family time– come free and that’s a lot of free stuff. Road Trips are also a time to visit places you otherwise will not visit. Places like Amarillo, Raleigh or Vicksburg are worth spending a few hours but not really a weekend.

So what’s the point in not doing it?

A link to a Slide Show of all pictures