The other day I pulled into the parking lot of a local restaurant and parked next to a big SUV. Sitting there in the driver’s seat was a big, black fluffy dog. He was looking right out the front window and I swear he was reaching for the gearshift. I thought about how excited dogs get when they get to go in the car. They jump up and down and wiggle their back ends and wag their tails. Once in the car, they push their noses against the glass waiting for it to disappear so they can stick their heads out. Tongues flapping in the breeze, they are the perfect picture of freedom on the road.
Sometimes I spend so much time in the car just running from here to there in the city running errands, delivering children and getting stuck in traffic that I forget how much fun a car ride can be. The last few trips we have taken, I’ve tried to remember to enjoy the journey even as I anticipate the destination. Living in the South, you don’t need to drive far to begin to see a vast change in scenery. From our home in North Florida, where we are surrounded by small hills and moss covered oak trees, we can be at the coast running along the beach in just about an hour. Or we can head north and in less than a day be sitting atop a snow covered mountain. And along the way there are state parks, national forests, small towns, museums and quirky roadside stores and restaurants just waiting to be explored.
So, as we get ready for spring break travel and look forward to those summer vacations, spend a little time planning a route and determine to slow down and see a little bit of what zooms past our windows. Wag your tail and put your nose against the glass in anticipation of the journey.
Original Post Date February 18, 2010
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