I know, I know.

It's been just about a week since I last blogged.  But here's the deal.

Last Wednesday, my family and I embarked on a road trip spanning from Olney, Maryland in the DC Metro Area to our new home in Sacramento, CA.  Well, our new home city...we're expecting the movers any day now and are living in a hotel in the meantime.

Driving almost 2800 miles is no small feat.  Driving with your husband, a preschooler, and a clingy terrier mix dog is just plain insane.  But it's also character building.  That's why I thought the noble (ha!) thing to do would be to share my revelations as a result of all the insanity.

Ready?

1. Sometimes You're the Windshield...but sometimes you're the bug.  This line from a Mary Chapin Carpenter song is one of my favorites.  So much so that I have it as a favorite quote on my Facebook profile.  Summer means bugs.  Driving in the summer means a lot of bugs going SPLAT on your windshield.  In life, sometimes we're the ones moving along, minding our business, and then SPLAT!  A windshield stops us in our tracks.  And sometimes we can have that effect on others...even without knowing it.


2. Preconceived notions can prevent a memorable experience. I admit it.  When we saw signs for Runza, clearly a chain fast food restaurant, I immediately dismissed it as a place to stop.  My nose wrinkled, I finally agreed to stop because we had to take a restroom break anyway.  I'm so glad we did.  This Nebraska franchise serves up the Runza sandwich.  I can only describe it as a mix of seasoned ground beef, cabbage, onions, and cheese wrapped in a dough.  I've never had anything like it.  It was delicious and if I had let my preconceived notions lead the way, I would have totally missed out.


3. Powering through can be painful, but the payoff is usually worth it. The first day of driving we had a lofty goal of getting all the way to Chicago on our first leg.  However, we ended up leaving a few hours later in the day than originally planned, stopping for the night in Toledo instead.  We had planned Lincoln, Nebraska for our second night and realized we'd have an extremely long second day of driving to stay on track.  Doubts crept up and we resigned ourselves to stopping in Des Moines...however, by the time we reached Des Moines, we were determined to power through and keep going.  This kept our trip on track and getting in to Sacramento on Sunday was a great relief.


4. Being disconnected to the outside world can be a good thing. There were quite a few times, especially when we were driving through Wyoming and Utah where we did not have a phone signal or internet through our iPhones.  At first, realizing this caused a degree of anxiety and frustration (I couldn't tweet for pete's sake!) but in a way it was liberating.  Truly.  And for those moments, it was just us...my family, our dog, and the open road.


5. The simplest of plans can create the strongest bonds. There are some pretty cool people I call friends in Salt Lake City.  Our last night of the road trip involved us staying in SLC.  I let Jyl from Mom It Forward know that we'd be in her 'hood.  Since it was last minute, instead of planning something at restaurant, she put together a tweetup at a local park and encouraged people to come with their families and bring takeout for dinner.  Nothing fancy.  Just friends, some picnic blankets, and fast food.  The kids played and the adults socialized.  Who was there?  @jylmomif, @troypattee, @makeandtakes, @jordanlebaron, and @todaysmama and their families.

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