Long Drives

Many of you may wonder what life on the road is like. Perhaps, in your mind, it is romanticized as being one great road trip after another, filled with adventure, unusual sights, and scenic by-ways.

While it can be very exciting at times (usually not for the reason you might think), and we do get the opportunity to see things along the way, most of the time it is just a long day in the truck.
Three kids sit in the back, and the youngest, loudest, wiggliest one sits in the front between Paul and me.

The drives like today's of over 800 miles, can physically exhaust everyone. Aching backs and necks, cramped legs, and slightly stale recycled air tend to either induce a state of lethargy or incite homicidal tendencies in our children. 

The drives are broken up by infrequent stops for food and/or fuel (think every 300 miles). All bathroom needs must be taken care of during these stops, and pity the child who drinks too much at lunch!

My own space is dominated by my projects - usually some kind of yarn, needles, and patterns in a bag by my feet. Phone charger cords snake around my ankles, and my water bottle is usually close at hand. During daylight hours, I work on my current project, or sometimes doze off in the warm sunshine, usually to be awakened by hysterical laughter from the back seat, or a particularly rough stretch of highway.  After darkness falls, I tend to gravitate to my tech - the ever present cell phone or my traveling library (I am soooo thankful for my Kindle Paperwhite). I have spent many hours reading while on the road.

There is generally some kind of music going throughout the day. Today we listened to streaming radio via Classic FM out of London. Lots of lovely music, and the funniest British ads!  Sometimes we pick favorites, where each person calls out a song and we listen to their choice.  This evening we listened to the entire Messiah, singing at the top of our lungs as we drove down the road. At other times, we practice music for our meetings or sing for our own enjoyment.

Before you ask, no, the children are not always content and sweet in the vehicle. On rare occasions, we have imposed mandatory silence upon them for their own health and safety. However, that is the exception rather than the rule, thank goodness.

Conversation ranges from trivia to theology, music to technology, and everything in between.  My kids ask the most interesting questions at times, and their insights and perspectives can be quite surprising!  Sometimes everyone sleeps (except Paul, of course, since he is driving).

As I write this, we are driving into our hometown. Familiar sights are a blessing, and a sign that we are almost at the end of our journey. Happiness is knowing that at the end of a long day, I can still climb into my own bed!

Just a small glimpse into the day-to-day life of the evangelist and his family. It's a good life, and despite the occasional difficulty and discomfort,  we love it, and wouldn't change a thing!