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Road Trip...

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Nothing like hopping in the car with the plan to just DRIVE.... and drive and drive, until you are two time zones away... right?
Honestly, while many people dread the prospect of driving cross-country, I really love road trips. I went to school out West, so my trusty little silver Civic has logged thousands of miles going the 19 hours there and the 19 hours back.
There's just something about the flat, dusky plains at sunset (or sunrise)... something about the beginnings of the Rocky Mountains, so inconsequential at first then suddenly jutting out into the craggy, snow-capped wonders you see on postcards. Getting all the way through one whole state, thrilled to just be somewhere else. The shabby, local gas stations. The miles you log beneath your wheels. The mix CD'S. The junk food. The fitful naps in the passenger seat.

I really love these trips.

That is, if I don't happen to have a baby along.

...Okay, let me revise that. Actually, Noah was really, surprisingly great on the trip. He really was. Having him along was an excuse to stop and take longer breaks. He was surprisingly easy to get to sleep along the way. He was generally charming and sweet and easy-going. In fact, when he would finally get taken out of his seat after a three-hour chunk, he was SO ridiculously thrilled and giddy to be free that his whole body would bounce and quiver with utter delight at the fresh air blowing through his hair. It was a glorious sight, each time-- his pure joy at his temporary freedom.

And yet-- something about having a baby along takes away the true FREEDOM of a road trip. The feeling of leaving your cares behind. Because all you care about is still right there, and this helpless little creature NEEDS you, and you can't just drive and drive and drive and meditate on the surroundings and let the music wash over you... You have to figure out how to get baby food into that little guy's mouth while the car is moving. You know?

So. This trip was markedly different from all the ones we have taken before. And that's okay. Life is markedly different in general since having Noah. It's to be expected. And we managed to make things work, even with the new and added responsibilities. Like, with all the added baby gear we have to pack, where will we put Noah?
Why not?

he seems happy enough...

though there aren't really any restraints to keep him safe, per se...

...but he really seems to like it in here.

...Ah. Maybe not.

Okay, okay... we DIDN'T let him ride in the trunk the whole time. He was safely buckled into his car seat every moment the car was moving. I promise.

It's just that when I was loading up the rental car the second morning of our drive, it just got really hard to juggle baby and luggage with the two arms I was born with. And this seemed to keep him happy enough, ya know?

So. As far as our trip went, the time on the road was pretty okay. (And we WON'T go into gory detail about the actual night in the hotel between driving days. THAT was a mistake. Like Noah was going to actually SLEEP or something. Dang, we were really better off just continuing to drive and drive. At least he sleeps in his CAR SEAT. Ugh. But no more about that. It is a horrifying night I'd like to forget. )

Now the rest of our trip?? Hmm... Maye that'll need an entry of it's own. Or two.

18 comments:

  1. it gets a bit easier as they stop nursing and can sit facing forward. i drove by myself with the two kids from texas to CA and thats a 1400 mile drive. i actually enjoy it. not sure why. and if/when you have another one, they keep each other entertained and beat each other alternately. but it works out. glad you had fun!

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  2. Awesome pictures!!! One of my greatest childhood regrets is that mom and dad never saw fit to let me ride in the trunk. Of course, we had vans which don't have trunks, and I rode in the backwards facing seat because I was one of the few that didn't get motion sick. And there was the back of dad's yellow truck which was always good times to ride in.

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  3. how hysterical! i may have to 'borrow' your idea when we leave for VA soon. sigh...driving with loads of kids = not my idea of fun, but visiting with family totally is.

    hope you're recovering ok!

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  4. How fun! We love road trips over here in our adventure-land. I must say, starting with Noah this early means that you can road trip successfully through the future! We started when Will was 2 weeks old and haven't stopped! And we still manage it without a TV/DVD player in the car :)

    Loved the pictures in the trunk. He is such an adorable baby!

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  5. I actually get a bit of an anxiety attack when we have to travel in the car and the farthest we've been is Vegas to Salt Lake City. I also don't love trying to settle my kids into strange sleeping conditions. But I do love vacation so it's the price I pay. Glad you had fun, can't wait to see more pictures.

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  6. What? I really DID ride in the trunk of our station wagon until I was around six or seven. Then we upgraded to the mini-van. Ooooh yeah.

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  7. He looks so happy in the trunk! I suppose you might have gotten some strange looks snapping pictures in the parking lot, but they only fit in the trunk for so long. Then you *have* to put them in the car. Thanks for the travel tips. Less than two weeks until our own frightening adventure.

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  8. Oh, that made me LAUGH! I didn't expect that first picture.

    You're awesome, and I love that you found time in this icky couple of weeks to update us with fabulous photos. See you soon, baby!

    ~genny

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  9. Anonymous2:34 AM

    i sure am glad you came, though. even though it was hard for you, it was totally worth it for selfish little me. thanks for the visit!

    Rochelle

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  10. Those pictures are too cute! Thanks for the update.

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  11. OH MY WORD!! Those are adorable.

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  12. what a cute idea! And Noah sure has a great personality shining through in those photos!!

    Sigh of relief...you are HOME!

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  13. what fun photos- i love how he is playing (experimenting?) with his tongue in many of these - they just make him all the more adorable...

    :D

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  14. Thank you so much for making the effort to be in AZ - and thank you for the new pictures to add to my collection for coworkers and other friends :-)

    Love you

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  15. Sometimes I wonder if my comments get lost in your sea of way-more-comments-than-I-will-ever-hope-to-get-ness....
    Noah is so cute I am starting to get more and more upset that I didn't meet him when you were here. That's it. Pack it up and drive back, I'm sure just a few days back and you are ready to do that whole trip all over again, right?

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  16. Those trunk shots are so great! When he is our age he'll love those photos!

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  17. tee hee...those pictures made me laugh out loud at the visitor center where I am working today. I bet people are wondering if I am crazy.

    I love road trips as well...but only when I know that I have money to spend on gas and junk food and all that jazz. I have to admit that my trip out to Rhode Island could have been more fun.

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  18. That kid makes me laugh as he plays with his tongue. I remember those long road trips without a child, but with Schucks delicious cookies (best if you went to the one in Ladue).

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