Go West, Day 1: D-Day

After months of planning—well, months of knowing we were going on the trip, and a few last-minute weeks of actual planning—it was time to load up the RV. We decided to pack ahead of time so that we could really enjoy the last day or so before we left (because we already had plans) and so that we could get going right away on Sunday morning—like, 8 AM. And I am so glad we did, because we got out of there right at the crack of 11:30. And promptly drove to Wendy’s. Two miles from our house. Yep, we are just like a family of boy scouts. Always prepared and classy, too.

So with the first leg of the trip—and a Frosty—under our belts, we were ready for the highway. Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’. And actually, our first day has gone extremely well. Our first “big” destination is St. Louis, which was just a bit farther than we wanted to drive in one day, so we have stopped for our first night at my aunt and uncle’s house. This is about 3 hours from our home, which means that day 1 was a pretty short driving day. I wish I could say that we thought this would be a good way to start the trip and get our feet wet, but really it was just convenient. Looking at it now, though, I think it was the perfect beginning.

The kids absolutely LOVED the RV today—the novelty of sitting at the table while we drive and playing games and coloring and even using the potty, all while traveling down the road. Even Roo, who was strapped into a car seat, handled the trip very well. This was a tremendous relief, because Roo was definitely the wild card in this trip. We knew that the big kids would love it and would find ways to entertain themselves, but we just didn’t know how Roo would do.

Of course, one of my favorite moments of the trip was when I realized that this had happened:

One screen...

Two screens (Roo is on my iPhone in a special case)...

Three screens...

Four screens (Don't you love my new Kindle sleeve????)...

And a driver. My poor hubby was about ready to declare a screen-free vacation! Ha!

 

And before we knew it, we pulled up in front of my aunt and uncle’s house. Now, you have to understand, this isn’t just some aunt and uncle. This couple consists of two of my very favorite people in.the.world. Honestly, they are just fabulous. I feel a little sad just thinking about how many of you reading this right now don’t know them. You are missing out.

We had a lovely evening of catching up with them AND their children and grandchildren, who came over for dinner. The kids loved having new cousins to play with, and we enjoyed a nice evening with grown-ups. Oh, and we are all sleeping in bedrooms. In an actual house.

This camping thing is so much better than I thought! ;-)