Thursday, August 20, 2009

On The Road















And that's the wonderful thing about family travel: it provides you with experiences that will remain locked forever in the scar tissue of your mind.
Dave Barry

I decided to road trip with my middle son on his route back to his senior year. One more long ride with mom while he is still under my tutelage. Seventeen hours in a car, all...the....way... to.... Arizona. What better way to bond? He is ecstatic that I've made this decision.

I can't think of a better way for me to end the summer and get back into a new year routine than by walking through the aisles of a university. Get that fresh back-to-school tingle of excitement and anticipation. I will come home to a fresh plate and new vigor for diet, exercise, writing, working, all those things. Right?

Besides, I haven't visited Jordan at school since his freshman year (several family members have taken turns the past two years) so I also want to make sure he truly has washed his sheets, comforter, and rugs since the fall of 2006. (He puts all his stuff in a storage unit during the summer breaks.)

I stopped by AAA to get new maps and guide books as I've decided we'll take a different route than the Lubbock, Muleshoe, Clovis, Albuquerque highways of previous trips. I'm opting for the long ride through Texas to El Paso onto Tucson and up to the mountains. Jordan is most happy about that, too. He can hardly wait for me to look up from my guidebook and say, "You know, if we go down this road 10 miles, we'll find the largest collection of..."

Oh, what would his life have been like without me?

I don't think you get internet service out there in those hills and deserts, so will catch up with everyone after I get back. Meanwhile, put your seatbelt on, Son. Mama is going on a trip.

20 comments:

  1. I envy you this trip, this solidification with your boy. They are never ready to be independent if mothers were in charge. But then, mothers have higher standards to enforce, don't they?

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  2. You are an awesome mom...this is something he will remember for the rest of his life. Have fun!

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  3. I hope you have a wonderful trip with your son! Btw, you are heading to my old stomping grounds. I lived in AZ for 14 years - Scottsdale and Phoenix, to be exact. I can honestly say I do NOT miss the desert. Especially in August. LOL!

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  4. Love this! Going off to settle a kid back into college is about the closest thing we can now get to tucking them in a night. I'll look forward to hearing about the trip!

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  5. Julie, I think it's wonderful! He will too either now or for sure later! Have a safe and fun trip!

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  6. I think the question is 'what what your life have been without him?'.

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  7. Flagstaff is beautiful in the summer time. Cleanest air in the country.

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  8. Do have a lovely trip - and a great bonding session too.
    Flagstaff? You are going there? One of my favourite places.

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  9. I wish both of you a happy safe and love filled trip. What a wonderful experience to have together. Try to keep us updated when you can and take lots of photos.

    Hugs Margaret

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  10. Traveling mercies. Looking forward to hearing about your adventures when you return. I really like your new header. It tells a beautiful story.

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  11. Sounds like a great trip! Looking forward to the details. Be safe.

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  12. Sounds like one heck of an adventure. Can't wait 'til my kids are old enough to take off on the longer ones. As it is we'll take off on s hort one tomorrow.

    You take care and make great memories getting lost in the desert with your son.
    xo

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  13. Sounds wonderful. My son is a senior in HS and is starting to look at ging away to college. How does your son like Arizona?

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  14. What an honor for you that your son wants to be alone with you for this trip. My 21-year-old would do that now as he gets older. The problem is I hate driving long distances. I get so sleepy. I don't mind being the passenger though. have a great trip.

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  15. I hope it is a great trip!
    And I love Dave Barry:)

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  16. Just found your blog - have a great trip!

    You sound like such a free spirit. The world would surely be a better place if more people were like that!

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  17. What I like best of all about this post is the way you relate not that YOU appreciate your kid (which does come through) but that HE appreciates YOU and what you bring to, well, his everything.

    Have a blast.

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  18. Ah, my old stomping grounds. Which right now are in the extreme heat category.

    I know you and Jord have a great time together. When they are a captive audience, they are forced (even though I'm sure Jordan is willing) to engage with you, the parent, in a more attentive way. He'll remember this.

    Good for you. Safe trip. Hugs!

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  19. You are a damn good road tripping mama and one day he'll do the same torturous thing to his kids. And he'll tell them how his mama used to do it to him and he'll recount how AWESOME it was.

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  20. What a fabulous idea. I don't care what he says. LOL

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Let me know what you think. Every word you write, I appreciate.

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