Virginia!

Most of our drive yesterday was in Virginia. On a long drive, there is something very satisfying about crossing the border into a new state -- even moreso when it is a state in which you used to live.

As I lay awake this morning at 4 a.m., I thought "I love Virginia, but it doesn't love me." It seems that the moment I enter the Shenandoah Valley, my eyes start to water and my head starts to clog. At least it does in the summer and fall. I spent my first month in Charlottesville back in '87 sneezing -- to the point where I had to excuse myself from class a couple of times. I'd not previously experienced the joy of allergies, and this was a rude awakening! It improved over time as my body got used to the new pollens, but it never completely went away.

Still, I love driving through Virginia -- through the valleys dotted with beautiful farms, with the mountains in the distance.

Maybe that was an overstatement.

I confess, I do not love to drive. I don't hate it, but not being a particularly patient person, I'm not the best-suited for this particular mode of travel.

So why are we doing this crazy road trip???

I love the freedom and flexibility that driving gives us. Air travel is quicker and easier for many trips, but it doesn't leave much room for improvisation. I love being able to plan to go to DC and "play it by ear" as to how long we'll stay before we head to NJ. To talk about extending the trip to include Boston without committing ourselves to do so. It's hard to lug all the stuff that the kids (and, yes, *I*) want to bring on a long trip when we travel by air, and we can carry more and access it easily in the car.

When we took a similar trip 2 years ago, many of my friends thought I had lost my mind. But my kids have always been good travelers, and we had a wonderful trip. Three items of technology gave me the confidence to take that first long road trip with the kids -- the navigation system , the cell phone, and the dvd player. When we were shopping for a car 3 years ago, the first thing Tim said to me is "I am getting you a navigation system." With my fabulous sense of direction, finding my way back from a service station within sight of the interstate can be a challenge. It's so nice to have that comforting voice telling me, "take the next right turn," and then getting me back on track when I miss the turn anyway. The cell phone, of course, buys a certain peace of mind. And the dvd player -- when used sparingly -- just buys PEACE. ;)

At any rate, we made it to our second night's destination in Winchester, Virginia. I had intended to post to this blog last night, but the kids were complaining that it wasn't dark enough with the computer on. I turned it off with the intention of turning it back on once the kids were asleep. At about 2 a.m., I was surprised to find that I had fallen asleep myself.

We didn't set out yesterday until lunchtime, as the kids had decided they'd rather swim a bit in the morning and drive straight through than to leave earlier and take an extended break somewhere along the way. So we had breakfast -- a wonderful cooked-to-order (and still free!) breakfast instead of the usual mini-buffet, then headed to the pool. It was a perfect warm, sunny morning.


As you can see, they didn't have any fun!

So... after a not-so-fast fast-food lunch (note to self: avoid Hardees) eaten as we left Tennessee, a lovely lunch- and swim-induced nap, a Harry Potter movie with a McDonald's shake intermission (to allow Mom to reassess the destination), a gas stop with Blimpie sandwiches/wraps for dinner, and lots of driving, we arrived in Winchester, Virginia. The Hampton Inn here is very nice. The kids enjoyed another swim last night and everyone slept well. Emma just woke up and is getting in the shower, and Will is still asleep. :)

I will probably not post while in DC; I can catch up at Mom and Dad's at the end of the week. I am really looking forward to seeing all my friends in DC, and in the evening when we get the kids to bed, I know I'll be spending my time sipping wine and chatting with Alex instead of on the computer. Ahhhh...