When Willie Nelson wrote the words of his song, "On the Road Again," he was probably not thinking of a 3 year old traveling 4,000 miles cross-country in a car seat. Likewise, Sahara has probably not paid too much attention to any Willie Nelson song she might have heard on the AM dial between talk radio shows. If she had, though, and if she were to make a comparison, this 3 year old would most likely say, "Willie Nelson has got nothing on me." And to think, for Sahara (and the rest of us) this road has only just begun!We are still in transition, and are having a wonderful time visiting family and friends across the United States. Our trip so far has been largely defined by gas station coffee, hotel rooms, and long hours in the car. The great thing about traveling is that we have had so many experiences, and more than enough time to ponder them. Somewhere in Minnesota or Wisconsin, Elisa came up with an acrostic describing some of the fun we've been having on the road thus far:
Trying. Trying to fit everything into a suitcase. This may require sitting and/or jumping on said suitcase to get the confounded thing to close.
Realization. The realization of how diverse the different landscapes of North America are. From bustling and exciting cities, to peaceful field after field of corn and wheat, to beautiful hills covered in forests, we have seen so much beauty on this trip.
America's birthday. We got to celebrate the 4th of July at a parade on the main street of a charming town in North Dakota. It was complete with antique tractors, old men riding four wheelers, and pounds of candy thrown to our bright eyed little girl who's smile lasted through the entire parade.
Vocabulary. Different places have different local words and expressions. Sahara caught on quickly in North Dakota. Upon crossing the border, she asked, "Is this North Dakota?" After hearing yes, she confidently exclaimed "Oofta!" We knew our little traveler would fit in well.
Experiences. We have had so many irreplaceable experiences on this trip, the most important being the wonderful times we have had with family.
Laughs. There were plenty of laughs to go around when we took a ride to Dairy Queen in Elisa's uncle's RV. The look on Sahara's face was priceless. She didn't know if she was sitting in someone's living room or a car.
We will see where the road takes us next!
