We just took a lovely little Labor Day roadtrip to Saugatuck, MI to be with friends and celebrate Osh’s fifth birthday.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I while I love travel (exploring new places or visiting old favorites), I do not love transportation. I passed this not love of transportation onto my kids. LUCKY THEM!
Being in a car ride with them is like looking in a mirror and seeing a reflection of myself with motion sickness.
The drive started like all good drives do: full of excitement, playlists ready to go, and so much to look forward to!
But, about an hour in, the nausea, boredom, and get-me-out-of-my-car-seat-now set in. There were tears, screaming, and at one point Osh told me that I was the “worst at trips” and he was going to “ruin the car.”
A large percentage of parenting is trying not to laugh when your kid says something really serious that sounds like a hilarious joke. I’m not amazing at this part of parenting.
This went on for a while until he got distracted by an episode of Dino Dana on the iPad, dozed off for a 15 minute nap, and played 10,000 games of I Spy.
As we were pulling up to the house in Saugatuck, Osh said, “wow… that actually wasn’t so bad. I’m sorry I yelled at you. It was pretty great, actually! We got to see hawks… and corn… and horses! I love driving in the car.”
Hawks, corn, and horses… oh my!
IF THIS ISN’T A METAPHOR FOR ANY JOURNEY YOU’RE GOING TO TAKE, I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS.
You’re going to start out full of excitement, (metaphorical or real) playlists ready to go, and so much to look forward to.
And, a little while in, there might be some motion sickness. Some boredom. Some get-me-out-of-my-car-seat-now feelings that come up.
You might also see some hawks, corn, and horses, too.
When you arrive at your destination and you reflect back, the tough parts won’t seem quite as awful and the hawks will seem very cool.
What a cozy reminder as we enter a new season with new journeys ahead.
Fall, to me, has always felt like a beginning.
The crisp air makes me feel alive and like anything is possible. There’s magic in the air, pumpkin in the baked goods, and I absolutely LOVE it.
If fall marks the beginning of a new journey for you — whether to somewhere “out there” or back home to yourself — I hope this story will be your travel companion along the way.
