Vacation. A long awaited time of the year when families either pile in the car or stand in long holiday lines at the airport. In my case, 4 boys, my husband and me in a minivan, Albuquerque bound. It takes between 13-14 hours and much of that time is travelling across a vast, open, sparse, west Texas. It amazes me every time I travel this area how vast and how empty this part of Texas is and how long it takes to cross it. The speed limit going from 85 down to 35 in a split second as you enter a remote, rural town in the middle of nowhere. Many believe to be speed traps. It does keep you hyper vigilant though.
The holidays a time of family and relaxation for the most part. As much as travelling can be cumbersome and exhausting it is easier for me in the long run rather than to have them come to me. Two stressful days of travelling versus a week or two of constant stress trying to entertain and feed guests. So the travelling is welcomed. My kids are quite adjusted to road trips and we stop at hole in the wall gas stations and get treats and snacks along the way. Stop at various rest stops and get a history lesson of the local area. It turns out to be fun.
The most important thing for me though is to make sure to have plenty of charging outlets in the car and provide each of my four boys an electronic device: ipod, tablet, DS. This distracts them for hours at a time. Sleeping in between. So this makes the trip even quieter. Then when we are within an hour of Albuquerque the excitement builds. We slowly climb to a 5000 feet elevation, ears popping, the cooler air fogging up the windows. Then we pull into the drive-way and the long, arduous trip fades and the feeling of family and love is all encompassing. I love the holidays.
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