Thursday 21 April 2011

R is for Roooooooad trip!

The smell of petrol;
The fights over who sits in the middle;
The battle to squash every bit of luggage into the nooks and crannies of the car;
The air of excitement and energy buzzing through the car, from bonnet to boot;
The rustling bag of opened Werthers Originals or Haribo Tangfastic;
The sweet wrappers littering the floor;
The familiar games relived from childhood such as ‘I Spy’ and ‘Spot the yellow cars’;
The suspense as everyone puts forward their entry into the Best Playlist competition;
The laughter as everyone disagrees about their taste in music;
The eventual peace and quiet as the journey drags on;
And the sounds of “Are we nearly there yet?” uttered from the back seats.


What wonderfully nostalgic things road trips are! Everyone remembers road trips as children, sitting in the back while the elders navigated. As we get older, we take on the responsibility for booking, planning and driving throughout a road trip. Suddenly, somehow, the whole dynamic has shifted and you’re the ones taking your own closest friends/ children on an exciting trip and packing up the car.

The best thing about it? No escape from each other. No get-out clause, time-out or running into bedrooms and slamming doors. Solid, inescapable, uninterrupted time as a group or family; and whether you spend that time bickering, laughing, getting to know each other or falling out with each other, it is really valuable time for relationships. 

If you’re ever in doubt? Turn to games. Games keep even the most cynical of us engaged for a short time – and they’re bound to bring a few laughs to brighten up a long journey.


We’re off on our very own road trip tomorrow and I’m excited. We’re celebrating the Easter period by jetting away from the city to rest and recuperate by the seaside. What a joy!


Whatever you’re doing this Easter, I wish you all the happiness in the world. And all the nostalgic warmth that reminiscing about ‘road trips past’ and planning ‘road trips future’ can bring. 


2 comments:

  1. Some of my best family memories are from road trips! Have a great time by the sea. :)

    ReplyDelete