The 17 State Sojourn

So, I hauled me and my 3 boys and a girl from Spain across 17 states, one nation's capitol and over 4,300 miles in the span of about two weeks.



At times I was convinced I was being secretly filmed for some new reality series I was unaware about, but honestly, it was a blast and I wouldn't change a thing ... except maybe the hotel in TN, yeah - that one left a bit to be desired. Among other things, there was no elevator, which was totally a foreign concept for my children, lol.

All I can say for sure is God Bless the DVD and Blu-ray players in my mini-van, as my kids watched a lot of Disney movies and such. The boys were watching the original Dumbo Disney movie and my 9 year old says it's freaking him out because a bird is smoking a cigarette, an elephant is afraid of a mouse, a clown got them drunk and of course elephants apparently fly, lol

When we weren't driving, we were visiting family, catching up with friends and exploring.  Highlights included the Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Dallas, state border pictures in Texarkana, surprising cousins, visiting an Amish Cheese shop, swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, exploring Washington, D.C., downtown Atlanta and New Orleans.  We went fishing and enjoyed hotel pools. But not at the same time :)  I believe I took over 300 photos and created a public album for them on Facebook.  Click Here For Pics 

Meanwhile, how do you know when you've been driving too much?  When your own hair scares you, Lol ... So this is what happens when your poodle locks get wet from walking around downtown New Orleans in the rain and you just stick the strands on top of your head with a clip; and then drive 10 hours ... yes, I was a lovely sight.

It is worthy to note that the casualties of this trip included my voice for starters (hard to sing and rock out while driving with a squeaky mouse voice), a pink nightgown and green turtle pillow in TN . Alas the nightgown was too big anyway, so no worries. We lost a bag of swim suits and swim shirts and brand new sunscreen in Alexandria. We've lost a brand new pair of sandals that belonged to Thomas - God only knows where they are, I've gutted the van and no luck. I lost my iPhone in Alabama but actually managed to find it in the trashcan at a gas station. I'm convinced someone tried to steal it and then tossed it when I kept pinging it with the 'find my phone' app on my iPad, lol. God Bless the LifeProof case because the phone was wet and yucky. Finally I temporarily lost my makeup bag - I was certain Louisiana had eaten it or something. No clue where it was. Perhaps that was a clue I did not really need it anyhow. However; it was later located in the bottomless pit that is my vehicle.

Birthday celebrations were abundant on this voyage, including my youngest son who turned six, but then kept exclaiming that he wanted his '5' back.  He wanted pancakes and bacon for breakfast, and he indeed got his wish.

At any rate, I am glad to be home.  I missed my husband more than can be imagined and I was quite happy to sleep in my bed and his arms last night.  Our family also suffered a loss as Tom's grandmother passed away while I was gone.  I'm not sure when my next sojourn will be, but be assured I will share my misadventures with the public for their comic relief needs.

As always, make champion choices,
Debra