We Be Trippin'

And I mean road trippin' fools.

2013 is the year of weddings! A couple weekends ago, I made the journey across the great state of Washington to attend my dear friend K's wedding shower. Having grown up in the Evergreen State, I am incredibly familiar with the 4 hour drive from Spokane to Seattle. However, this was the first time I made the voyage with Everett as my co-pilot (and Jesus too, I guess).

Even though the 4 hour drive turned into 6 hours with an infant, I have to say Everett made a pretty nice travel buddy. He slept like a champ most of the way, patiently watched me eat a Mondito Burrito from Taco del Mar in Ellensburg, held it together when we were waiting in the ridiculous line at Starbucks, and politely looked away when I needed to use the restroom.

And he was oh-so-adorable of course. On the way out of town, I assumed the humming of the car lulled him to sleep because he was being so quiet. However, after about 20 minutes of silence I heard the cutest little baby sneeze come from the back of the car. I had the strong desire to climb back and look at him, but my resolve to get to my destination in an acceptable amount of time trumped my desire to stare at him while he stared out the back window.

Next time we make the journey (for K's wedding), I have the knowledge which will steamline our experience.

• First stop in Ellensburg.
• Go through Starbucks drive thru for a treat.
• Park behind Starbucks/Taco del Mar and nurse in the back of the car. Eat Starbucks treat while nursing. Make fun of douchey college students who are walking into Taco del Mar.
• Change diaper at Starbucks (Taco del Mar doesn't have a changing table). The bathroom on the left has a changing table right next to the toilet, so you can do your business and make sure Baby doesn't fall off the table at the same time. Multitasking!
• People in line for the bathroom will glare at you when you come out. In fact, you will hear, "Is someone in there? What is taking so long?" from outside the door. Sorry folks, but it takes a minute.
• Eat a burrito at Taco del Mar.
• Fill up the gas tank at the cheapest station (note the station that advertises cheap gas with the very small print that states: "cash only." Don't be fooled again.)
• Head over the pass.
• Stop again in North Bend to nurse so Everett's ears pop.
• Arrive at destination and drink a glass of champagne.

During the shower, I left Everett under the loving, capable care of my BGFs (best gays forever). It felt strange driving across the Emerald City by myself. I am having the same strange experience in present time when I leave him at home every morning. For three months, I had my little bundle close to me 24/7. Every time I commute solo and hear a noise from the back seat, I have to remind myself that it isn't Everett. My life at work feels a little empty when I acknowledge our separation, but we are taking full advantage of the few hours we have together each day.

My heart was full after visiting my dearest friends. I am so lucky to have a group of individuals who know me inside and out, and who love me unconditionally despite all my faults. I was especially delighted to learn that Everett loves his Seattle "Aunts" and "Uncles" as much as I do.

To friendship! And yes, that is a straw in my glass of champagne. Class.

In addition to the travel necessities I mentioned in a previous post, here are a few I could not live without on a road trip:

• I cannot stress enough the importance of owning a BOB stroller. Start saving your $$$!
• The Travel Boppy is also worth mentioning again.
• Your preferred baby carrier. Why don't more moms use these? For his current age, I prefer the Moby Wrap and the Baby Bjorn.
• Since I had room in the car, I brought Everett's bouncy chair. This is a fun, safe place for him to sit while I get ready for the day, help clean up messes from the prior evening's schenanigans, and socialize with friends. In that order.
• Pack N Plays are pretty legit. I was too lazy and tired to set it up the first night, so Evers slept on the bed with me. However, I couldn't sleep because I was staring at his adorable face all night! Since I am super protective of my sleep at this point in my life, I decided to stop being lazy - after all, I did cart the thing across the state, so I might as well use it. It was so easy to assemble that even my Mommy Brain could figure it out.