I've preloaded this post because at the time of posting, I will be a woman without a home.
Today is May 30, which means tomorrow is May 31, and the 31 is the day we drive away from Calgary for good...from now on it will only be occasional visits.
The drive will take a week. Thereabouts. It took us 3.5 days when it was just the 2 of us, but now we have to go 4 hours further AND we have 2 kids. 15 hour driving days aren't really an option. If you look at the map, find Calgary - it's in Alberta....and then trace your way all the way over to Halifax, wayyy over on the east coast. Give or take - about 4000 km.
But we're all very excited...even the kids. Life is going to change, and we hope for the better. Not that life here was bad, mind you. And it's horribly difficult to leave people you've become close to over the last decade. But this is all a big adventure for the Alwards.
So...a week in the truck with the kids.
We've done the bad parent thing and the girls now have Nintendo ds's. WITH headphones. Let's face it you can't read or write in the truck. And the ABC game etc. only lasts so far. You have to mix it up a little. One thing the girls like is, believe it or not, listening to the 80's channel on the satellite radio. But when you're looking at driving for a week.....
So we have music, we have video games, and fun travel games. (By the way, playing the ABC game from Thunder Bay to Wawa is pointless....there is NOTHING there - not even road signs.) We also have a dvd player. We sound like a technie nightmare, don't we!
The good news is we are hotel-ing it as we go and if we stop early enough, we'll have a decent dinner, time to read, go for a walk, or a swim in the pool. I'm also hoping that since we have time, we'll be able to stop at some landmarks along the way. This might be their only chance to see some parts of Canada so I'm also going to get them to keep a journal of the trip.
The next time I blog here, will be 2 days before we take possession of our new home! Stay tuned....
12 comments:
Slightly perplexed why you can't read in a truck. You can read anywhere... as long as you don't get feeling sick.
Many years ago, my mother used to forbid me to read in a car, and so I resorted to sneaking books in. Then I asked my opthamologist -- could I read in the car? Was it hurting my eyes? The answer came back as long I didn't suffer from car sickness, it was fine.
Anyway, I hope the journey is going well.
Good luck with the trip!! It sounds well organised as I would expect from you.
Michelle - you are obviously very lucky you don't get car sick when reading. It sounds like Donna's children do get car sick. I wish I could read in cars it would have made family trips so much better.
Cross country moves, what an adventure you are embarking on. I moved from MI to NC about 8 years ago and it was definately an adventure.
Keeping a journal of your trip is an excellent idea. Back in 1953, we took our first vacation as a family. Think 3 kids, ages 9 (me), 14 & 16 crammed together in the backseat of a 1953 Buick, where the only entertainment was scenery and AM radio. My mother kept a journal of our trip and I still have it. In fact, this past December when I went to Michigan to spend Christmas with my children, I took boxes of old family photos to look at and that journal was in one of the boxes. My S-I-L was more interested in reading that journal than looking at pictures. Every so often he would start to laugh and have to read the passage to us. And, as it happened, I had photos in those boxes of that trip so it added more to the journal entries. It was fun to recall that trip now so many years later when both my parents and my 2 older brothers have all passed on.
Best of luck with your trip. Make the most of the time you have and be sure to see as many landmarks as you can. And having the kids keep a diary is a great idea. The will be able to enjoy the trip for years to come.
Have a safe trip.
Have a good trip!
Wow, what an adventure! Hope you have a great trip, Donna!
And if you learn any tips on traveling with kids, I'd love to hear them--always looking hopefully for ways to make little kids happy travelers.
Good luck on your cross-country
adventure! Your children will have
great memories if they view this
move as just that, a family adventure
in which they are important members
of the team, they are keeping the
trip journals!
Pat Cochran
Wow what an awesome trip you are taking! I wish I was going to! :-)
I love to travel!
My husband can't read either in the car as it makes him nauseated. My friend has to sit in the front seat or she gets car sick. I guess it is more common than you think.
Journaling a trip is always a great way to relive the memories! I have done that a couple of times. Lately though I like to scrapbook my trips and journal on the pages next to the pictures.
Have a fantastic time! Please come back and tell us all about it!
Michele L.
Donna,
Best of luck on the move. It really does sound like a great adventure. I have strong memories of travel with children - lots of it. I found listening to story tapes a lifesaver, as were picture boards with restickable stickers (such I shame I couldn't use them myself as I was driving!),
Hope Halifax works out wonderfully. I'm hoping to hear all about it as dh is visiting there very soon. Hope the house is all ready for you with no hassles.
Annie
So, the cross country part of your moving adventure is now underway. Sounds like you have some strategies for helping your kiddos make the long journey. Can't wait to hear your next step in this journey.
Nancy (sheandeen)
i'm in a hotel!
LOL
And yes we do have car sickness issues, so no reading. It is quite funny.
I don't have much time and my connection is SLOW, but I wanted to say thank you for your comments!
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