Column: Road Trip

We don’t go away a lot.

We would like to. But unfortunately we don’t have a money tree and sometimes going away seems like more trouble than it’s worth. As my mother said, “Moms don’t go on vacation, they go on trips.”

When I had kids, I finally understood what she meant. The last time we flew to Disney World, I walked the aisle of the plane for the entire flight home with my then crying baby boy. It totally scarred me and we haven't been back since!

For President’s weekend, we made an exception to our normal no-travel policy.

I have an aunt and uncle and several cousins who live in Cleveland, Ohio. Several weeks ago, I received an invitation to my soon-to-be-cousin’s bridal shower. I knew that we would not be able to make it to the April wedding because it’s on the same day as my daughter’s First Communion.

When I received the invitation, my first reaction was to mail a gift and send my regrets. This would have been the easier choice. But every morning when I saw the invitation hanging on my fridge, something was nudging me to “Just Go.”

I had put off making the interminable drive through Pennsylvania to reach Ohio before with the rationale that my kids were too young and not potty trained. But now at ages six, eight and 10, they have all been wearing underpants for some time now so I could no longer use this as my justification for staying put.

I followed my gut, RSVP’d in the positive and the plans got rolling. My parents would drive there with us.

At first my husband didn’t want to go. “It’s a long drive,” he said.

I used my powers of persuasion to convince him to join us (and help with the driving).

The kids went to school exclaiming, “We’re going to Ohio!” I think it sounded better to them than it did to those who heard it. Let’s face it, most New Jerseyans wouldn’t select Ohio as their destination of choice. Maybe we will be trendsetters!

I decided less is more for the car ride. We brought some movies, the Nintendo DSi game player, a case of water, a bag of snacks and that’s about it. We decided to split the ride on the way there, half on Thursday afternoon and the rest on Friday morning.

My aunt and uncle and 11 cousins welcomed us to their home on Friday night. At first, I had that feeling you get when you see someone in person after only interacting on Facebook for a long time. You know everything about them, but barely ever see them face to face.

That feeling didn’t last long though. Shortly after we arrived, the conversation and laughter (and wine!) were flowing so easily that it felt like we hadn’t skipped a beat since the last family get-together a few years ago.

Later in the trip, my oldest daughter got her wish and we saw Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes. 

“How many great lakes are there?” asked my daughter. All I can say is thank heavens for my iPhone which I admit using to Google the correct answer for her.

“It looks just like the ocean!” My daughter was surprised to discover this.

My son had a little trouble with the location of Ohio. “Are we still in America?” 

He’s only six, so I cut him a break.

More important than all of the geography lessons was my children’s chance to hang out with their cousins, some of whom they had never met. Despite the miles between us, my Ohio relatives and us New Jerseyans all have a common bond. We are family. Years may pass before we see each other face to face. Yet when we are finally physically together, it’s like not a day’s gone by.

On the morning we left Cleveland, my husband gave me a hug and said: “Thanks so much for talking me into this. I had a great time.”

Sometimes foregoing a vacation to take a trip ends up being well worth the eight-hour drive both to and fro. I’m so glad I listened to my inner nudging and just went.
 

Author’s note: There are five Great Lakes: Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.

About this column: Kathy Yevchak is a mother of three and the author of two children's books. She also works part-time in corporate writing and training.