The 7 Certainties of Summer Vacation
Plans and budgets only take you so far. No matter what you do or where you go, these seven things I know for sure:
1. You Will Forget Something
Stop making lists. Accept that I speak the truth. My husband had driven two hours in the direction of Canada to meet his fishing buddies before he realized he had forgotten his passport. I was halfway to Michigan when I startled the children in a spontaneous burst of expletives. I had forgotten my medication. After a flurry of preparations, loading up the car, and getting on the road, the car quiets down and then that one missing item will pop into your head. Or you’ll swear you left the coffee pot on.
2. Your Mood Won’t Match Your Game Plan
Road trip entertainment is important. I especially enjoy a good audiobook when I’m driving. But once everyone is in the car, no one will be in the mood for whatever audiobook you chose nor will they want to listen to the mixed CD marked “road trip” that you burned specifically for the drive. “Can I just listen to my music, mom?”
Sure.
Any group activities or games you hoped to play, dissolve into NPR for Mom and earbuds for the teen. The toddler will play games on your phone where the audiobook is stored.
