We love road trips.\u00a0 Pasith and I have taken lots of short ones and a few long ones.\u00a0 Almost five years ago, in 2006, we had our son and knew that we would have to put off road trips for a while.\u00a0 When our son was 10 months old, 2007, my father-in-law was diagnosed with cancer and we didn\u2019t feel comfortable going too far in case of an emergency.\u00a0 After a year he passed away and it seemed that the only trips we took for the next year were for last goodbyes and funerals when I lost my Uncle and my Grandma.\u00a0 The next summer, in 2009, when our son was turning 3 we finally felt like we were ready for a small road trip and had one planned when my Mom was diagnosed with cancer.\u00a0 We went anyway even though I had a bad feeling.\u00a0 The story of that trip is a whole other blog but let\u2019s just say it was the last one for a while. \u00a0And I missed two family weddings that fall partly because I was too scared to travel. \u00a0Last summer we stuck very close to home just going away for one or two days at a time.\u00a0 Just in case.<\/p>\n
When my Mom was sick I had a very difficult time making plans and that has continued since her death.\u00a0 I am slowly getting past it but it is taking me a while.\u00a0 Even making dentist or doctor appointments have been difficult because when my Mom was sick I never knew when I would have to go at a moment\u2019s notice.\u00a0 I cancelled one doctor\u2019s appointment 4 times because it continually conflicted with her schedule.\u00a0 That hesitation is hard to part with.<\/p>\n
So, here we are in the summer of 2011.\u00a0 We finally feel like we can travel without worrying about a family emergency and we have a few trips planned; a few long weekends and one week to see family.\u00a0 This past weekend we were out for Father\u2019s Day and we got to talking about our summer while we were having ice cream.\u00a0 My daughter was so excited and asking so many questions.\u00a0 And I suddenly had a memory of doing that with my Mom and sister.<\/p>\n
In May or June we would go out for supper or evening snack and bring a calendar with us.\u00a0 We would decide when we were going where over the summer holidays.\u00a0 Moosomin and Warroad were always at the top of the list among others.\u00a0 The planning was almost as much fun as the trips.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t go anywhere extravagant or even on a plane.\u00a0 But those summer trips are some of the best childhood memories I have.\u00a0 My Mom\u2019s sister came on a few trips with us when I was a teenager.\u00a0 We went to New York State for a single parent conference and to BC for a family wedding.\u00a0 Separate years of course.\u00a0 My Mom did not like driving in the cities and liked the idea of having another adult along.\u00a0 And my Aunt loves road trips as much as we do so she was more than happy to come along.\u00a0 We stopped at little motels, got up too early for breakfast, for my liking, and we all had our particular menu item that we liked to eat at almost every restaurant along the way.\u00a0 We stepped in all but one Great Lake on our way to New York.<\/p>\n
I am so thankful for those memories and hope my kids say the same when they grow up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We love road trips.\u00a0 Pasith and I have taken lots of short ones and a few long ones.\u00a0 Almost five years ago, in 2006, we had our son and knew that we would have to put off road trips for … Continue reading