National "Stowe" Vacation Day 1

No One ever said we traveled neatly!!!!!

Making Family Memories

The stress of this vacation began months ago, with the purchase of airplane tickets. Since then there have been online hotel rentals, car rentals, beach house payments and worry about how to do this trip with 10 of us.

My parents did this trip every year. No matter what type of vehicle we owned at the time, they would pile all of us in and drive – stopping only for pit stops (forced bathroom breaks) and an occasional run into a grocery store for more peanut butter, jelly, and bologna. They took turns driving, napping when the other was driving. They took an occasional no-doze pill to help them stay awake as the headlights reflected off of one dotted line after another and children snoozed oblivious to the passing miles. We could make it from California to South Carolina in 3 days.

When we were young, we did not know there was any other way to travel. No seatbelts were required, and often, one child would lay on the bench seat while their seat partner would make a nest of pillows and blankets on the floor. Somehow, the sound of the wheels on the road had a hypnotizing effect on all of us. We would read, talk and play. But mostly we would sleep.

When Bob and I got married, we had a lot of driving to do. We married in Washington DC, then had wedding receptions in Vermont and North Carolina. Bob finally worked up the nerve to ask me what was wrong with me. Every time we climbed into the car, I would grab a pillow and fall t instantaneously asleep. He ended up being bored and lonely – wondering what sort of sleeping sickness possessed his new wife.

It seems that life has come full circle. We will be married 20 years next week. Every other year, we have made a trip from the west to the east to visit our extended families. Our traditions have changed every time we travel.

Today marks the first day of travel for our 2010 family vacation. After staying up until 1:00 am paying bills, packing last minute items, putting water bottles into the freezer, I got back out of bed at 6:30 with my mind racing, thinking of all the last minute things that had to be done before we could leave.

And now, all the suitcases are packed. The van appears to have exploded with people, backpacks, snacks and treats of every variety, pillows and blankets. I have used my brand new earplugs to assist me in having a heaven-sent 2 hour nap, and the kids watch a new movie on the DVD player.

This is the golden vacation day. Day #1. The day when all the preparation pays off. The day when there IS no more to do, because you are no longer at home. You are officially on vacation. I do have to mention two funny things from today’s travel. So that I will not forget our own family memories.

The first was while we were playing the jellybean game. We make sure to purchase a giant container of Jelly Belly jelly beans to eat along the way. It is my job to pull out 10 of the same color, then to pass them rearward in the van. As soon as everybody has one, we all pop them into our mouths and try to guess what flavor we are eating. Just as we began chewing the cappuccino flavored candies, the younger ones began to gag. We laughed as we heard “Acck. Coffee. We are not supposed to have coffee.” And then Joseph, our live wire, begins yelling (he is always yelling) “coffee, coffee, coffee, I want more coffee”. We could not help but laugh and think of the caffeinated squirrel in Over the Hedge. Aren’t we so glad to have one of our very own?

The next funny moment was as we were about to pass into Colorado. Bob’s brother takes great delight in following our travels by cell phone. I gave Bob a hard time as his cell phone rang and he tried to describe which part of the wild unknown we were currently driving through. He then bragged about his increased cell phone plan with more minutes (hint: call me more often so I don’t have to deal with these crazy people). I had just finished telling bob that maybe he should ration his phone calls and not use them all in one day when my phone rang. I smiled, a little bit chagrined to be getting a phone call after just berating Bob for using his minutes frivolously. I looked at my caller id, only to find that my phone call was coming from the back seat of the van. My 17 year old giving me a call, only to see the laughter in his Dad’s eyes, the appreciation of a good joke on Mom.

Four hours into our eight hour driving day. We have already had laughing, napping, whining, and yes, even some yelling. Looking forward to a hotel with a pool tonight and an airplane tomorrow!