28 hours on the road, seven people in one van–one of them a screaming baby: that’s how my day began.
Yesterday morning at 8:30 AM, my family and I left my parents’ home in Kansas and drove halfway across the country to Washington state in order to visit family members that I haven’t seen in nine years. My parents have made a similar trip many times throughout my life. This, however, was my first such expedition with my wife and kids. My sister and her boyfriend joined us rather than making the trek on their own: a decision that was a great blessing as the night grew long and turned into morning again, and sleep was short and fitful.
During the trip, I recalled a truth that I had nearly forgotten: we live in a remarkably beautiful nation filled with a bevy of stunning vistas and wide-ranging climates. I love my home and the state in which I grew up, but there is ever an alluring pull when I travel through the western half of our continent. There seems to be no end to the panoramic photo opportunities for which we rarely had time during our travels.
I also learned something important about the bonds of family, friendship, and love: 28 hours is too long to be trapped in any vehicle with anyone, but not long enough to eradicate the wonderful memories formed on the trip. I could easily make such a trip again with my family, though they may prefer alternative accommodations.
One of the greatest challenges and surprise boons to this journey, was the lack of reliable cell phone data service throughout the trip. This forced us to engage with each other in place of the digital world that permeates every part of our lives these days. While I would have preferred a bit more of a connection to the outside world during the first 12 hours of the trip, it certainly provided the impetus for other methods of distraction that brought us all closer together.
We will be here for a week, and I hope to post more updates during that time. Despite the trials of the road, I look forward to the journey home again.
