May kicks off road trip season for our family and many others. Schools are about to let out for the summer and the weather is starting to get warm and stay warm across the country. Since it is Mother’s Day, we start out from So Cal and drive up to the Bay Area to visit family. However, it wasn’t too long ago that I was making this trip with my own parents and doing the exact trip in reverse with my family.
My very favorite memory of Mother’s Day was when I was about 7 and my mom was driving me to school on that Friday. We suddenly jumped on the freeway and she turned around and said, “Surprise! We’re taking you to Disneyland!” I didn’t realize when I had entered the car, but the trunk was packed with suitcases and we were on our way to my dad’s work to pick him up for the adventure.
(my beautiful mother with me and Brian)
That trip down was the most excited I had ever felt at that point in my life. I’ll never forget that anticipation combined with surprise and how special it made me feel that my mom would set this up. My family is terrible at keeping secrets and the unexpectedness of the adventure made the entire trip. Not only did I get to skip school and go to Disneyland, we got to take our time on the 5-hour road trip. Instead of taking the interstate all the way down, we stopped along the coast in small towns and picked up pastries, ate specialty burgers and we even got to stop multiple times to try to find the best road-side milkshake. Now that I’m a parent myself, I have to commend my parent’s patience to take an extended drive with a little girl bouncing off the walls after drinking three milkshakes and taking bathroom breaks!
That Mother’s Day, Disneyland opened its gates and handed each mother a carnation when she entered. I distinctly remember my dad taking pictures of us on Autotopia, a ride where kids and adults alike can command the wheel of miniature cars. My mom was in the passenger seat as #mycopilot laughing at my tiny frame (much smaller than your average 7-year-old) trying to push down on the pedal. We still have this picture displayed on the mantel of their fireplace in their family room.
Not long after this trip my family was faced with several stressful back-to-back major life events. We didn’t have the foresight during the trip to know what was about to happen and I am so grateful for those moments on our trip. It was comforting for our family to recall memories like those made during this trip while enduring some of those darker days.
I guess what I am trying to get at is two points 1. Make the most of the time you’re given. It’s so cliche, but “seize the day” was written by Horace over 2000 years ago and it’s still stuck around for a reason. 2. It’s not about where you’re driving, it’s who you’re driving with…so don’t rush it. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.
Thanks to our friends at Discount Tire for the idea to share a Mother’s Day road trip story. Do you have any special Mother’s Day or road trip memories to share with us? Visit IANtB’s Facebook page to comment on this post and share funny or memorable stories.
Happy Mother’s Day!
#mydiscounttire #spon
