We just got home from a family road trip. It’s our second one this year, and it has quickly become our new favorite way to travel. This trip was absolutely amazing! We went from Florida to Maine to Niagara Falls and back with lots of amazing stops in between. Over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing highlights and tips from our trip, but before I get to that I want to share how this road trip was just amazing for our family and so good for the soul!
Any time you are in super close proximity to someone for 10 days straight you are going to get to know them better, but when it’s people you already know with your heart and soul is there really more to learn? That’s the amazing part. This level of togetherness really drives you to dig deeper. We heard words that we have never heard our one year old say before and saw the biggest smiles ever seen on our sons face. We spent quiet times while the kids were napping chatting with each other.
My husband and I are tight. The very best of friends. Still, something about being on the open road with just us and the kids brought us even closer together. We spent time talking about the future and about the past. We reflected on good memories before the kids and after. We talked about our plans for future road trips and life in general. Taking the time to just be with each other and have grown up conversations that don’t involve our long list of tasks to complete is good for the soul.
Our kids are wild and wonderful and road trips allow them to be just that. Not to say that they were always perfect angels, but they traveled like champs and embraced every opportunity to run wild when we made stops. They laughed and entertained each other like the BFFs we always hoped they would be, and they shared snacks and toys so nicely. Hayden kept asking if Brylee could sleep in his bed. I love that he wants to be with her. Their growing sibling friendship is amazing to watch!
We have been home now for a couple days. The bags are unpacked and the massive pile of laundry has been folded (thanks to my amazing husband), but we are still a bit off our routines. We have eaten take-out every night this week, and we have struggled to get the kids to bed at a decent time. We have struggled to get ourselves out of bed in the mornings, and the house is quickly falling into a big hot mess. We are rolling right into a busy weekend and Halloween. Still, last week was one of the best weeks of my life, and I wouldn’t change a thing. This road trip was simply amazing! My heart is warmed and my soul is happy thanks to the time I was able to spend connecting with my family.
I’d love to hear about your road trip experiences or any family experience that has warmed your heart in this way. How have you connected with your family through travel?