Roadtrip!

I think I am going to devote the rest of this week to ME. Everyone is all about "the baby this" and "the baby that" these days. Dude, what about ME? One of the things about having a "topical" blog, is that I fear the folks reading this aren't getting to "know" me. Someone reading this site might think that all I do in my spare time is ponder the subject of breastfeeding. Don't get me wrong - I am enjoying this site and am excited by all that I have learned as I've researched the topic, etc. But, I do have other interests than breastfeeding. So, this week, I am going to write about some random-ish topics for the fun of it......

A Blog Friend from Denver is driving through Kansas City tomorrow and we are attempting to meet up. I have to admit, I am quite jealous of her roadtrip. I LOVE roadtrips. My parents started taking me on roadtrips before I can even remember - we always got up at the crack of dawn, just before the sun came up to get an early start. I live in Kansas City, but have roadtripped to Colorado several times, to Arizona and New Mexico several times, to Omaha and through Missouri COUNTLESS times, and even all the way to Kentucky and Tennessee. I've roadtripped FROM Chicago to here. Then, there are all the weird Fly-In Roadtrips - those roadtrips I've taken where I've flown in somewhere, then traveled around from the destination. I know New Hampshire like the back of my hand - my husband went to college there, so we have roadtripped the ENTIRE state several times now. And Vegas? I've roadtripped the entire area, except due west past Red Rock Canyon- I've driven to San Diego from Vegas AND I've even gone as far as Rachel, NV to get a gander at the infamous entrance to Area 51. Internationally? When I was in Pakistan, we flew into Islamabad and drove through the mountains up north, then back south and on into Peshawar. And those were just some of the FUN roadtrips and don't even include all the roadtrips I did for WORK when I was employed with Coopers and Lybrand, then later, Ernst and Young.

I love the beginning - the hopping in the car and facing the unknown. I love those eerie early morning hours when it's dark and there are few cars on the road. I love stopping in crappy little dives along the way for the worst food known to man. The food may suck, but the people are almost always interesting and the souvenirs deliciously tacky. Some of my happiest, silliest memories have happened in a car, in the middle of nowhere. Also, there is no better way to test a relationship by sitting in a car for extended periods of time. And I have found it doesn't matter if it is a friend, family or spouse! For sure, your relationship will be pushed to the brink and back.

I had really wanted to do a roadtrip this spring with Arun - he is slightly obsessed with animals right now and I thought going to the Omaha Zoo would have really been exciting for him. However, I was just too sick during my 2nd trimester and really didn't relish sitting in a car for 3 hours in my 3rd trimester. We will see how this new baby travels in the car, but I am pondering a roadtrip up there this fall. We'll see if I am adventurous enough.

Do you like roadtrips? What's your favorite part?