I was not a brave mom who traveled with my kids when they were little.

Well, let me back up.

I TRIED once or twice to travel with babies and toddlers, but I found out that it was not for me and gave up early on.

You see, they cried in the car. And not just on a long trip. They cried on the half-mile drive to Grandma’s house. I would be yelling at the top of my lungs in the happiest voice I could: “We are going to Grandma’s house! It is not very far. We will be there in less than five minutes,” as if any of these words meant anything to my babies. These short trips should have prepared me for longer drives. But… alas, I did not learn.

I TRIED to travel. Once, after a five hour cross-country flight with my 4 year old and a 2 year old, as we were waiting to taxi in and waiting for the seatbelt light to go off, my 2 year old started screaming, “I am DONE with this! I want OFF!”

I am sure the rest of the passengers felt the same way if for no other reason than they wanted to escape the piercing screams of my child.

Road trips were no better. “Drive at night,” well-meaning friends and advice articles suggested. “Your kids will sleep through it.”  So we tried. Our kids did not sleep through it.

After driving from 6pm til 3am, stopping every twenty minutes or so for a break from the chaos and screaming, we gave up on any hopes of reaching Phoenix and got a hotel in Blythe. Not that the kids did a whole lot better in the morning, but at least we had gotten some rest and could tolerate their intolerance.

The ride back from Phoenix was ok until Mojave, when the then-one year old started screaming. She screamed nonstop until we got home.

So by the time our kids started school, I had given up on all hope of ever traveling with children. When the pandemic hit, I was like, “Yeah, I don’t want to go anywhere anyway.” And I was fully prepared to stay home until my children move out.

And then, somewhere along the way, my children changed into big kids. All of a sudden they can sit in a car for hours on end without even a whine. And I feel like I need to see the world. Like right now. Before September. Because my oldest will be starting high school… and so, you see, our traveling days are numbered.

They tell you when your kids are small that it “goes fast” and to “appreciate every moment.” Well, I will be honest: I was not appreciating any of the screaming sessions we suffered through when our kids were small. Not even a little bit. Not even enough to just think, “Aw, poor kid. She is so  miserable.” Nope. I will confess right here and now that I was thinking, “Poor me,” not “Poor kid.”

But now, I find myself feeling nostalgic for the days when I would pack their suitcases, and they would unpack right behind me, trying on hats and gloves and leaving a trail of clothing throughout the house.

I miss being needed.

Now they pack their own suitcases. They bring their own entertainment for long drives. They hardly ask to stop for a break. They want to go and do and see. And they still have boundless energy. They are like… the most fun travel companions ever.

Next up: They will pay their own way….