Road Trip

I do not understand Canada. Despite this large country sharing a seat with us on the Americas bench, it still feels like a foreign mystery for me to visit. 1. Why is the currency named like cartoon characters? Loonies and Toonies? I don't understand. 2. Why is it Saskatchewan and not Saskatchewa? It feels like adding the n turns it into an adjective and not a noun. The grammar rules in my head are rage fighting right now. 3. The potato chip blends just break the mind. Doritos and Lay's are two separate entities, not one. This duo never needed to be a couple. The world doesn't need another Kimye. 4. Blueberries and sausage are not a pleasant looking combo. The raw links look like bruised doll legs. 5. What is Peavey Mart? I mean really, did they not just straight giggle when naming this mini mart? 6. They love pun named stores. I fully am behind this. 7. They have food brands for what will happen if you eat too much. For example, "FATSO" peanut butter. Say it like ...

When your most vivid memories are of the blurry view out the window, it's time to slow down. I am grateful for phone picture reminders, but I also know when I'm pushing my family too hard. It was becoming more about the destination and not the journey. Within a week, we had traveled to so many national parks that even the rangers gave us the big eyed look of skepticism. The truth is that a drive-thru, visitor center stop and mini hike weren't filling our buckets. It became more about the race to fill in the junior ranger booklet rather than enjoying the spectacular views all around us. We hopped from Badlands to Crazy Horse to Mt. Rushmore to Devil's Tower to Yellowstone and to the Grand Tetons within a week. What we needed was some clarity and pause.  The flexibility of never knowing where tomorrow was going to bring us became more stressful than relaxing. Yes, we could fit one more place in, but was it worth it? After the Grand Tetons, we decided to have some mini vac...

Nothing in life goes to plan, and whenever I attempt one, it blows up in my face. No one who truly knows me would ever call me "spontaneous". I am a planner. I plan, then the plan goes awry, then I freeze while my brain cycles through versions of "does not compute" and "ugggghhhhhhhhh". Flexibility is not my strongest skill, and yet, here I am. I am on an unplanned roadtrip. I am on a trip where I don't know where we will be in two days time. I barely know where we will be the next morning. Is a museum I want to see closed because it's a Sunday? Pivot! Is the weather not cooperating for camping due to extreme heat and 40 mph wind gusts? Pivot! Have the kids just had the ultimate slap fight or lick the palm game that left me reconsidering that antique soda fountain visit? Pivot! This is not a trip for someone who is anxious, yet again, here I am. Four sets of eyes constantly on me asking "Where to next?", "How long until we get there?...