We’re gearing up for our big summer road trip vacation over here. The same one I’ve taken almost every year since I was twelve. Iowa to Northern Ontario. It’s about a sixteen-hour drive. Some years, we would leave around seven PM. My dad would drive us through the night, crossing the border in the middle of the night. We’d be sleeping in the way back of his suburban in sleeping bags. The border crossing officers would maybe shine a flashlight through the window, but no one asked for ID, or proof that we were his kids. None of us had passports. I was a kid so I have no idea if he even showed a driver’s license to prove who he was. It was a quick stop and on we’d go. Arriving at our destination at noon, just in time for our check in.
Some years, we left in the morning and spent the night somewhere along the way. This was a big deal. But it meant we were awake most of the drive. It was up to us to figure out how to entertain ourselves for sixteen hours. Space was limited so you only brought things you know you’d use. My dad didn’t believe in listening to the radio, so that was off the table. Enter the Walkman which was glorious. Not only could I listen to music of my liking, but I could also stare out the window in my own little world while I did so.
Staring out the window on a road trip was a big activity for GenX.
I was a bookworm, still am. So, for a week-long trip, I’d bring at least five books. How else was I going to fill out my summer reading challenge card and earn my free pan pizza, obviously! The latest Tiger Beat and Seventeen magazines were a must. I had to get caught up on the comings and goings of my favorite Brat-Packers (Did you all watch that documentary? A lot of big feelings about it and I will be diving into it when I get back from my vacation, don’t you worry!) Not to mention the latest skin care tips and a “how to tell if he’s really into you” article or two. Oh, and a how to go from day to night makeup tutorial. (Hint it involved adding a shimmery eye shadow and pretty much nothing else.) And when I’d really get desperate, I’d draw those animals you found in the back. You know, the ones you could send it somewhere and see if you were good enough to get into some art school you’d never heard of before.
Spoiler alert, I was not good enough.
I didn’t pack snacks, just grabbed something when we stopped for gas. (And the bathroom. We only stopped if we needed gas, bladders be damned…) Usually, a bag of chips and either a Watchmacalit or some Toffifay. Maybe a New York Seltzer or a Clearly Canadian. Most likely a fountain coke. As we’ve already discussed, there were no bottles of water to be purchased. We did not own water bottles to fill. We did not drink water. Ever.
Back in the car, after snacks were eaten, I might pull out a word search magazine, or a MadLibs. Depending on if my sister had her Walkman on or was reading a book. MadLibs were a group activity, obviously.
All of this to say, we made our own fun. No one entertained us on this drive.
Recently, I saw a post from a younger mom I know (GenZ, maybe?) and she was asking for ideas to keep her kids entertained on the car ride and then she posted the answers she got.
The way I laughed.
Cookie sheets to eat and draw on. Complete with magnetic toys.
Snackleboxes.
And the one that really got me: WRAPPED GIFTS TO OPEN EVERY HOUR OR EVERY TIME YOU CROSSED A STATE LINE.
My GenX brain nearly exploded.
Gifts for merely sitting in the car? Being a passenger?
I don’t know what we’ve named that generation of kids, but I am nominating Gen Audacity as a viable option.
My kids (also GenZ) watched movies on long car rides. There are big swaths of kid movies I’ve never seen because we saved new ones for road trips. But other than that, they also packed their own entertainment bags, because to me, that was a life skill. And they certainly didn’t get presents for just being pleasant humans and crossing state lines. (I realize I am tiptoeing into a very “get off my lawn” vibe here…)
Anyway, all of this to say, I’m off on vacation next week so won’t be posting anything new here on the Midsection. I hope you aren’t too disappointed by this. But if you’re here, I’m guessing you’re around my age and you’re probably used to entertaining yourself.
PS If you are a paid subscriber and have been wondering where the latest chapters of “Roll with It” have been. My apologies. I am on a deadline for my other gig, the one where I write books and writing two at the same time makes my brain hurt…
Look for it to return the first of August!
Didn’t know I also write books? Check out my website www.booksbyjuliestone.com for my backlist.