Car Trips

There's nothing quite like a long car ride after being stuck in one place for a while. Maybe it's my travel bug, but I really like traveling sometimes. I have many childhood memories in the backseat of my parents' cars, many of which include me and my sister getting more and more angry with each other as we battle over that middle line in the backseat, the one dividing the car seat cushions.

We spent many hot summer hours in my mom's radioless, air-conditionless tan Honda from the 1980s, driving from California to Nevada. It was fun visiting my cousins, but boy, those car rides were long and very hot. About the time my sister learned how thermoses can keep drinks cold, we decided to put ice in plastic containers to keep our snacks cool. These containers were not specially insulated, however, nor did we think to put the ice in a separate bag first. Let's just say I had some pretty soggy Starbursts in my Tupperware cylinder that afternoon.

I've also driven down to Disneyland a few times and up to what is now known as a Six Flags, formerly Marine World U.S.A. When my sister and I were old enough to realize we were going on a special trip, we would try extra hard to be nice to each other. I don't think my dad ever turned the car around, but we knew my parents were perfectly willing to keep us home or at the hotel if we were being bratty. That's the tough part about being a parent that I experience already--sometimes you just have to accept you won't always be able to stay and enjoy yourself if it means disciplining your kids.

One of the best parts about those surprise trips was the ride home after a long and very fun day. If we got something new, we would play quietly in the car, admiring our new small trinkets, our eyelids getting heavier and heavier as the gentle hum of pavement passing beneath the tires lulled us to sleep. I say "if" because my parents did not have a lot of money when we were growing up, and I think that even if they did, they still wouldn't buy us a new something every time we went out. That's how kids get spoiled. 

It also made those times when we did get a new toy extra special. I think that taught me and my sister to be more grateful and not take the entire trip for granted, and it helped us be more aware of our family's situation. I remember feeling guilty once when I caught myself looking at all the new toys, wishing for one. I knew we didn't have a lot of money, and it was a sacrifice just to go to the theme park. I believe I was about eight years old at the time, feeling bad for having greedy thoughts. There aren't even adults who have that kind of self-awareness.

Road trips aren't always fun, though. One time my folks' car broke down in the Bermuda Triangle of the Sierra Nevada mountains: Truckee. I swear, every time I go that route or talk with someone who has, something goes wrong with the car. We had to rent a station wagon, my two little cousins in tow, while they listened to the Beatles and the Beach Boys all the way home. (Sorry, I'm really NOT a fan of soft rock or easy listening.) 

While waiting for a tow truck, us girls had to pee, so we went off the road in search of somewhere to squat. Unfortunately, this was also rattlesnake territory. One of us thought we heard something, another one saw something moving, so naturally we high-stepped it back up to the road, squealing like the girls we are. 

The one fun part I remember is being in the car as it was towed. The truck pulled us up onto a level platform, so we were very high up off the ground. My dad was still in the driver's seat, holding the wheel, as per reflex. Then after a while, he suddenly turned around, waving at us with both his hands. "Hi, girls!"  All three of us screamed before we remembered we were on a tow truck. We had forgotten he wasn't driving anymore! But that's my dad for ya.


Since I earned my driver license, road trips are even more interesting. I love driving down a highway, cruising at a comfortable 75 miles an hour, my favorite tunes cranked up and a destination to reach. A car is also the perfect place to have deep conversations. My sister taught me that if I ever wanted to have a guy open up to me, all I needed to do was go on a long car ride with him. It can also be great for family relationships. 

My dad always planned our family's trips; now I have my own car, my own family, and I'm in charge. I like it. But I do miss the old days. That's what memories are for, I suppose. I'm glad we had a chance to make them.