Road Trip開車旅行

When I didn't have children, road trips were SO much fun.  There is something really fun about driving, seeing new scenery, eating junk food, and talking with your friends the whole way.  It's not the destination that was exciting, it was the journey.

在我還沒有孩子的時候，我覺得開車去旅行是一件非常好玩的事。在車上可以看窗外的風景，吃零食，還可以沿途跟朋友聊天。開車旅行的好玩不在目的地而是在旅程中。

On Sunday evening, I went on the LONGEST ROAD TRIP EVER.  At six pm we started our crazy road trip.  The two kids were still good and happy, not really understanding what we really meant when we explained to them that we'd be in the car for a while.  Good thing we had extra help.  My father-in-law came with us and also two of our friends.  We thought to make it easier on the kids, we'd drive through the night so they could sleep.

 

上星期日晚，我經歷了生平最長最長的"開車旅行"。晚上6:00，我們開始了這一段瘋狂的旅程。這時，兩個孩子還蠻乖的，完全不懂我們向他們解釋"我們大家將在車子裡一段時間”的意義。還好有救兵相助，我們請了我的公公和另外兩個朋友來幫忙。我們想讓孩子舒服些，所以才計畫在晚上開車，好讓他們在車上睡覺而不會覺得路途遙遠。

The kids were so confused, because every 3 hours or so we would stop to get gas for the U-haul, and for some fresh air.  It was good too because being pregnant, it was good for me to get out and stretch my legs (to avoid blood clots) and use the restroom.  

 

結果反而讓孩子們很困惑，因為每三個小時我們需要停下來為裝家具行李的貨車加一次油，順便呼吸一下新鮮空氣。對我來說是一件好事，因為孕婦需要下車活動一下筋骨，順便上洗手間。

Finally around 10am, we arrived at our new place.  

 

好不容易，終於在早上十點到達目的地。

I have requests to write about flying in a plane with my kids, so I'll do that in another entry. 

 

有人希望我能分享帶著孩子在長途的飛行中的經驗，我會另外寫一篇。

Here are some tips that I would give if i were to do that again with young toddlers.

現在，我想分享一些如果日後還有這種帶著年幼孩子的長途旅行的機會，我會用的一些小方法。

1. Arrange the car seats so the kids are next to each other.  They entertain each other.

如果有兩個孩子，把他們的安全椅放在一起，這樣他們可以玩在一起。
2. Make sure there are lots of snacks.

記得準備足夠的零食。
3. Don't worry about the mess they are making in the car.  A small confined space is not the place where you want your kids screaming.

不要在乎車裡被孩子弄髒;在這麼狹窄的空間裡誰也不想聽到孩子被罵後的哭鬧聲。
4. Have plenty of books, stickers and activities, and switch them from one activity to the other rapidly.

準備足夠的書，貼紙和適合在車內玩的遊戲，並且要快速的從一個活動換到另外一個。
5.  Don't stress.  Things are NOT going to go the way you plan, and you HAVE to learn to be flexible.

不可有壓力。事情絕對不會照著計畫進行，一定要學習有彈性。

Now we are here in our new place and excited to start our new journey here. 

現在，我們到了我們的新家，興奮的準備開始我們的新生活。

 
Just like a road trip, my new attitude here while we start a new life is that the best part is not the destination, but the journey!

就像開車旅行一樣，來到這裡我的新態度是:

開始一個新生活最好的部分不是在目的地，而是在旅程中。