A Glimpse Into Our Family Road Trip to the Rockies
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take a family road trip across the country? Maybe you’ve considered the idea, but it doesn’t seem practical.
Last summer, alongside our three children (ages 12, 8, and 4), my husband and I traveled thousands of miles, climbed mountains, shivered in our sleeping bags, and cooked over campfires. We used our tailgate as a table, dealt with deflated air mattresses, and bathed in the middle of the woods.
Our time on the road was exhausting, amazing, and everything in between.
As I reflected on our trip, I also sensed that God was showing me that many of the same mindsets that made our road trip enjoyable could be applied to other parts of my life as well.
Our Family Road Trip
Many friends and family members were intrigued by our trip and asked me to write about it.
When I first began writing about the details of the trip, I wasn’t sure what form the writing would take. Ultimately, I decided to put it into eBook form and ask for a small donation to offset the effort involved in making it.
It’s taken close to a year, but the eBook is finally finished.
It’s called 11 Days on the Road, and it offers an up-close glimpse into our time on the road as well as the lessons I learned on the journey. I’m sharing the introduction with you here today. Enjoy!
11 Days on the Road
Our family was gathered in the yard for our annual Fourth of July picnic—eating linguine salad, hotdogs, and Mom’s cottage beans—when my older sister offered a surprising suggestion.
“You should write about your road trip,” she proposed emphatically. “I would read it, and I think a lot of people would be interested in reading what it was like to drive across the country with three young kids and camp in the middle of the wilderness.”
I’ve been seriously pursuing writing for close to ten years, and this was the first time my sister had ever offered a suggestion regarding my writing. After a conversation about what parts of the trip I should write about (throw-up buckets, arguments, and emotional meltdowns all made the list), I decided to start writing.
Our Family Road Trip
Less than a month earlier, my husband, Darrell, and I loaded our three kids into our small Nissan pickup truck and drove 27 hours from western Pennsylvania to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where we set up a tent in the middle of nowhere.
We endured bitter cold nights and slept wearing knit hats and winter coats as we nestled into our sleeping bags. We endured rain, snow, deflated air mattresses, and many, many arguments.
Our time on the road was wonderful and terrible and everything in between.
Upon returning home, friends asked us, “Would you do it again?”
“I’d leave tomorrow if I could,” I answered, surprising myself with my longing to return to the open road, the crowded tent, and the granite peaks.
After my sister’s suggestion, when I first started writing about our trip, I planned to create a short and entertaining resource to inspire others to keep pursuing their passions—even with young kids and in challenging seasons of life. However, as I wrote about each day of our adventure, something deeper began to unfold.
Family Road Trip Life-Lessons
As I reflected with God, I realized that the mindsets that helped our family during our time on the road directly correlated with the outlooks that help us thrive in our everyday lives.
These mindsets included embracing certain ways of thinking, pursuing challenging goals, venturing into the unknown, giving thanks for the daily grind, embracing our limits, and more.
As I wrote and reflected on the trip, I realized that I was writing much more than an entertaining memoir about our journey.
I realized that I was writing to entertain; meanwhile, I also felt led to challenge my readers to wrestle with questions such as:
Have I stopped pursuing my passions because it feels too difficult?
Where have I exchanged following God for pursuing comfort?
Am I afraid of changing directions in the areas of my life that are no longer working for me?
Enjoy This Trip Vicariously Through Us
You might not be in a season of life in which you’re able to take off across the country on an 11-day road trip.
Maybe the idea of this kind of trip is entirely unappealing to you.
Nevertheless, I invite you to join our family as we made our way across the country. We bickered, cried, wanted to quit, and made some of the best memories of our lives together.
I also invite you to join me as I reflect on our lessons from the road. I encourage you to talk to God about the ways these lessons might inspire change in your life, too.
Before we begin, I’d like to point out that this eBook isn’t your average Christian nonfiction book. I’ll share spiritual truths. I’ll also talk about the very practical details of our journey and give you a glimpse into what a trip like this actually looks like.
At the end of the book, you’ll find a sample itinerary, packing list, and answers to frequently asked questions about how to pull off a trip like this. These resources will help you if you would like to embark on your own camping road trip.
And now, let’s hit the road.
This book will entertain you, draw you into a different world, and give you a glimpse into the highs and lows of a family road trip. #roadtrip #familyroadtrip Share on XDownload Your eBook Right Here
This book will entertain you and give you a glimpse into the highs and lows of a family road trip. Additionally, you will be challenged to consider the dreams you’ve set aside out of fear of leaving your comfort zone. We will explore nine mindsets to embrace for a more joyful, purposeful, faith-filled life. These mindsets include embracing change, stepping into the unknown, and embracing your limits. Get this eBook for $3.98 right here.
