As a child, I spent a lot of time in the car, in buses, and on trains, traveling back and forth between my parents’ houses. The traveling time for these trips was anywhere from one hour to ten hours one-way. To a kid, you can imagine how that would sound dreadful — and keep in mind that this was also in the days before smartphones and iPads. Flash forward to today and I love car rides!
I probably love car rides because I am so used to them – at this stage, spending long hours in a vehicle is as normal as eating food – but I think it goes deeper than that. I have great memories from the time spent traveling as a kid.
My dad was the parent that did most of the legwork for collecting and driving us kids. At the time, he was leasing a blue Pontiac Vibe, and I remember thinking it was the coolest car in the world and that I wanted one just like it when I grew up. I also remember giving it a name, but for the life of me, I cannot remember what it was. Anyway, it had five seats – two in the front, three in the back. Now, with there being three of us kids, one would have had to squeeze into the uncomfortable middle seat – something that would have created MANY fights. Instead, my dad enlisted one of us to be his copilot in the front – the caveat being we had to use the paper map to help him navigate. Of course, what young person would not jump at the opportunity to sit in the front seat! My brothers and I developed a rotation system to keep it equal and away we went.
As we traveled more and more, my brothers became bored of the navigation duties, opting instead to play their Nintendo DS’s together in the backseat. Lucky for me – I loved the front seat. I was always a Daddy’s Girl and relished the chance to have him all to myself for hours. I also loved adventure and would pretend we were pirates exploring uncharted waters – using the paper map only added to my imagination.
We would drive for hours, only stopping for the restroom when the car needed fuel. We drove through mountain passes and my dad taught us how to corner. We drove late into the night and my dad taught us how to scan for deer. Sometimes, we were even lucky enough to see the Northern Lights.
At other times, neither parent could commit the time to drive both ways just to fetch us, so we had to take the Greyhound. Since there were three kids, we were instructed to always stay together and look out for each other. My brothers – being two years older than me – assumed the supervisory role but ultimately left me alone in favor of playing their own games. I was used to their exclusion and relished the chance to read more books, uninterrupted by chores or schoolwork.
Riding the bus made me feel independent and capable. Strangers on the bus would often comment on how responsible we were, and I lapped it up.
Eventually, my dad moved farther away and neither driving nor taking the bus was an option. So, riding the Amtrack it was. It was more comfortable than both the car and the bus, and I could get up and walk around as much as I wanted to. I also remember being so excited because none of the other kids in my class had ever ridden a train before.
Regardless of the way I traveled, I always looked forward to it. I got to be an explorer and do my own thing. I could sleep all day if I wanted to without anyone telling me I should be more productive. On those trips, surrounded by strangers, I could be anyone I wanted to be. Sometimes, I was the mysterious traveler like the characters in my books, or I was the brooding, emotional actress staring out the window like in the movies. I could be the main character whenever I traveled.
Now that I am grown up, I live on the opposite side of the country from my family but travel once, sometimes twice a year to see them. Before I had my driver’s license and my own car, I flew by airplane, draining what little savings I had. Then, once I had bought my own car, I drove myself cross-country to see them. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it was a solo trip both ways.
Expense aside, I like driving myself. I feel productive because I am going somewhere, and I feel relaxed because I get a break from work or school responsibilities. Deep down though, I think I enjoy driving because it reminds me of those simpler times when I was a kid, chatting away to my dad in that little Pontiac Vibe.
What is something you do now that reminds you of your childhood? Did you enjoy it then? Do you enjoy it now? How do you feel about long car rides?
Feel free to share your answers in the comment section. Let’s get a discussion going!
Thanks for reading.
-TJ
LambCHNOPS 