Enjoy the Journey

by Sunny
Growing up, I looked forward to our yearly caravan to the Florida panhandle. A 10-12 hour drive was made a family affair during which siblings and cousins would take turns riding in various family members’ vehicles to stay comfortable, happy, and entertained during the annual event.

Now as an adult with a husband and 5-year-old, the 10-12 hour car rides have been replaced by shorter flights to a variety of destinations. We often fly stand-by (made possible by my husband’s job) so our wait time for flights varies. It is not unusual for us to get to the airport first thing in the morning and not depart until the afternoon…or even the next day. Sometimes our journey consists of crisscrossing the country in order to find empty seats to our final destination. So our family lives and breathes by the motto: getting there is half the fun! Here are a few ways that we enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

1. Journal prep – I like to keep a journal while traveling to help me remember the names of great restaurant, stellar accommodations, and funny anecdotes that happen along the way. En route to my destination, I outline my journal by dating each page and writing down any plans that we have made in advance. That way after an exhausting day of sight-seeing, it is easier to fill in little pieces of info from the day.
2. Trip Trivia – This is a favorite of ours! If you keep a journal during your trip, you can quiz each other on the way home to see how much everyone remembers. For example, what was the name of the hilarious waiter we had Monday night? How many times did we ride Splash Mountain? What was the first museum we visited on our trip? Even if you don’t keep a journal, you can collect pamphlets and business cards from the places you visit to help you remember some fun facts.
3. Check the airport’s website – Many airports have children’s play areas, but you may need to do a little research to find them. They are often tucked away so as not to disturb other passengers, but are so worth it if you have kids with a lot of energy to burn. Tampa has a soft, squishy plane and clouds that kids can crawl around and climb on. My daughter didn’t complain once during our 6 hour layover in Tampa this summer. I take that back, she complained when we had to drag her away to catch our flight!
4. Activities for kids – I always try to pack something novel for my daughter when we travel. I have certain toys and activities that I reserve just for traveling so that she looks forward to playing with them during a flight or car ride. One item that she really likes is window clings. These are light, inexpensive, easy to pack, and can be disposable at the end of a trip. Another item we use on car rides is baking sheets. You would be surprised how creative you can get with these! They act as a table top for activities such as paper/magnet dolls, card games, and coloring. I also bring along a variety of stickers so my daughter can decorate her sheet.
What are your favorite ways to enjoy the journey? Share with us in the comments below!