There’s never a more hectic time than the 2-3 days before you leave for a trip, but nothing is better than the collective sigh of relief when you start out on the open road. The first few miles are always relatively quiet while we review everything we’ve packed…and what didn’t pack, and then finally getting settled and easing into the drive. We threw in an audible this week and left the night before we had to be in Denver, knowing that we would need to find a place to camp somewhere between North Platte and Big Springs, NE. Sadly, Nebraska is lacking for public land, so finding a state wildlife refuge is our best bet, a campground a close second, or a parking lot which is the absolute third and final option. I’m absolutely not kidding that one of the most fun spots that we stopped for the night while commuting was in Spanish Fork, Utah at a Costco. Local shoppers kept us company while we cooked dinner and pulled out some folding chairs to sit around for awhile. I know it sounds crazy, but some of the loveliest and hospitable people we’ve met, we met in this way.

It took me a long time to learn when the boys were young that it is vital not to wait for that moment during any trip that you feel like “This is what total relaxation and rest should feel like!” You really have to enjoy the entire journey, mess and all. The beauty is in the mess, I promise it is. My best friend Amy and I frequently remember the time that our boys came down with the flu at the same time on a ski trip and we spent the majority of one whole evening washing bed sheets together. We played card games while the washing machines ran and the boys rested in their rooms, and we laughed about the absurdity of how much fun we were having while others may have been happy to throw in the towel for the day. A beautiful mess.

Something always goes sideways in a trip, we know it will this time too. But those moments, and the ways that we find solutions when that does happen, always make for the best stories and fun memories. We will make sure to share the ups and the downs this time around, not just the pretty pictures, but the pretty big messes as well!