The Holiday Road Trip

I wish someone would have told me the utmost importance of going on a road trip with your husband before you get married. I must have been crazy to never have done this with him before, and once more, to do this in our first year of marriage and also at the holidays!

My husband and I decided that in order to keep me from filling buckets of Christmas tears over not being able to see my family at Christmas, we would borrow a reliable car from a friend and do the unthinkable. Drive 16 hours to Orlando. Be there for 48 hours. Then drive all the way back to arrive Christmas morning in time to catch a cat nap and go to my in-laws for Christmas dinner.

When we began our journey south, I was in the best of spirits! I had my "ipod" full of Christmas music, a cooler filled with coca cola and hummus, and a bags of snacks. My husband got home from work at five o'clock, and I figured he'd quickly pack and we'd be on the road by six or seven. I underestimated the anal retentive and severely vein side of my new husband as he took 2 hours to pack! Mind you we were going for 48 hours! We finally hit the road just shy of nine p.m. and he was asleep by ten.

I thought to myself that to begin our memory of our first road trip I should let him sleep the first leg. After all, he did work three over night shifts in a row and was exhausted. He's much more tolerant of my elf like holiday cheer when he's had sleep, food, and a scotch. I drove and drove and drove! I drove half the way there in horrible fog and mountains. After just entering Georgia I had been driving 8 full hours and I decided it may be my turn to rest.

He awoke in good groggy spirits and said he would drive. I pull into a gas station and go into the bathroom to remove my makeup and brush my teeth. By the time I exit the questionable restroom, I find my husband staring at the doughnuts. He had already drank a huge red bull, a five hour energy, and was eating a Reeses peanut butter cup and holding a giant cup of coffee. We get on the road and begin lovely conversation for about an hour as the sun came up.

I finally lay my head in slumber and it seemed like 5 minutes went by, and I awoke to a very green husband. Covered in sweat and sighing a lot. The window is open and it is cold and loud.

"Honey can you close the window?"

"I don't feel so good."

"You don't say!'

I was very angry, and also felt very bad for him. Seriously though, what would possess a person to put all that into their system! He looked really awful. I was so sleepy I'm sure I didn't speak one full sentence with out whining. I drove the rest of the way. After finding him the right combo of scotch, fast food and water to soak up the trucker crack itching blood feeling, he slept the rest of the way.

We arrived in Orlando at 4 p.m. and I was very sad about our first road trip together. I felt robbed. Robbed of all the good conversation and sing-a-longs festive fun. Fortunately the drive home was much better. We had all those things..... and he did ALL the driving!