I just realized today that in just a couple of weeks, my husband, the boys, my parents, and I are going to embark on the biggest adventure that we as a family have ever had. In the past, I have pretty much been a seat of the pants type of girl when it comes to travel. I am not sure if that is such a wise approach to take on a road trip from Vermont to Florida that involves four adults and two kids, so I am beginning to do a little bit of planning.
There once was a time when the drive from Vermont to Florida took approximately twenty four hours. That was almost ten years ago, when Ryan and I traveled there together on Spring Break while I was in law school. We drove the whole way without stopping for a hotel, switching off driving and sleeping, and stopping for food whenever we were hungry. It was during that trip that we discovered, among other things, Waffle House and the fact that we are very good at traveling together.
We are still good at traveling together, but these days it takes us a bit longer to get anywhere and the trunk of the car is always filled to capacity. This upcoming trip is going to be even more interesting because Dylan is potty training and Blake absolutely refuses to take his meals or snacks from a bottle. Still, I have positive feelings about how it is all going to work out because my parents are driving down with us so the kids will be outnumbered by adults two to one.
I’m pretty sure that we have everything that we need for the trip, except for perhaps a portable DVD player so that whomever is sitting with Dylan can watch a movie or two with him. Other than that, I plan to pack most of their stuff in the trunk except a bag full of nutritious snacks, water, a bag of toys for each of them, and a well stocked diaper bag including a change of clothes for each of them. As far as activities are concerned, I am pretty sure that there will be lots of stops for the potty so we can all use those opportunities to stretch our legs and make sure that Blake gets plenty to eat and Dylan gets to run around a bit. Let me rephrase that – I truly hope that Dylan will ask for plenty of stops for the potty so that he can stay dry and comfortable.
Departure day is still a few weeks away, but I think that as far as things that need to get done right now, we are all set. At any rate, the days immediately preceding our departure and our days on the road should make for some pretty interesting blog posts.
Photo by keyseeker on morguefile.com.