Travel Trepidation

Would you like to go on a road trip with this little cutie in your car?



These butterflies are ready to migrate!





We've just returned from 21 (TWENTY-ONE!) days away from home. It's been a long journey filled with beautiful beachy vistas, warm ocean waves, and a large roster of family members (also beautiful and warm.)

I really should have kept the blog rolling while we were on the road between Wisconsin and South Carolina, but I just could not deny myself the experience of being computer-free and nearly phone-free, too. So I shall do my best to reflect upon the life lessons I learned while vacationing and get them down (so I can have another great trip in the future).

Lesson #1: NO MORE TREPIDATION
Prior to this summer's epic journey, my experiences could be summarized by a road trip we took last summer, driving from Wisconsin to Connecticut. The driving part seemed to generate quite a lot of crankiness, grouchiness, nastiness - and did I or did I not swear I was never going to do that again? (note: I was extremely pregnant during that trip.)

Well, I decided a positive attitude and carefree, easygoing spirit would vanquish the cranky clouds of doom from before our path, freeing us up for fun road-trip memories. I packed up the car and 4 kids and drove for 2 days down to Isle of Palms, SC. We stayed there for 7 fabulous nights visiting with the Margery Dodge descendants (Doug's maternal grandma), then shifted up to Myrtle Beach for 7 nights with several of the Margery Lorraine Seiler descendants (my maternal grandma). The fun didn't end...we went for 3 more nights up to my sister, Dacy's, cabin in North Carolina. 2 more days were spent in the car driving home and voila!

Not only did I survive it all, I loved it all! I came home with an all-new empowered attitude about travel with my kids. We are going to become a traveling family. We are going to go fun places, because now I know we can! NO MORE TREPIDATION.