So You Want To Drive Cross Country With Your Mom And Incontinent Dog
Or maybe you don't! But I did. Here's what I've learned so far.
Greetings from the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona!
Mom and Joni outside of our accommodations for the evening.
It’s Thursday, which means my mom, dog & I have been on the road together for one full week. I can’t really believe all the things we have seen and done. Or that we’re still getting along so well. But it’s true.
This might sound dumb but I couldn’t imagine actually getting to this point. Logically I know you can get in the car and drive from New York to California. But every so often during the drive we’d look at each other and say something like “can you believe we’re just, in Arkansas right now?”
Speaking of Arkansas, it’s so. So. So! Beautiful. We drove into the Ozark National Forest up “a steep and crooked” road to the Oark General Store, a restaurants with the tagline: “In the middle of nowhere…somewhere!” there, we ate these delicious burgers:
We also went vintage shopping in Louisville, sat on the floor in the front row to watch the famed duck red carpet at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, ate hot chicken in Nashville, drank margaritas in Santa Fe, spray painted our names on the cars at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. We have seen so many cows, said “look at that!!” hundreds of time, have eaten so many string cheeses and bags of beef jerky, have seen so many gas station bathrooms, tried so many iced coffees from local coffee shops and marveled at how cold water will stay in a giant Yeti.
I’ve also spent plenty of time in laundry rooms ( I didn’t know so many hotels had them for guest use) washing Joni’s, er, stuff. I’ve spent tearful hours trying to detangle her collar (it has since gotten stuck three more times, but now I know how to untangle it), and wondered more than once if bringing a pup who doesn’t always have control over her bowels, especially when she’s nervous and in a new place, on this trip was really such a good idea.
But then I look at that face. This face! And think about all the places we’ve seen on walks, all the people who want to say hello, all the cool places she’s seen. Also, pro tip: If you travel with a stressful dog, you’ll be so distracted that your mom will stress you out way less!
I had a lot of anxiety ahead of this trip: about the drive, about all the time, about the dog, about being out in the world after a year in a pandemic. I’ve driven long distances before, just not this many all at once. The driving hasn’t been exactly 50/50, and there were definitely a few long stretches that seemed to go on forever, but if you have the time to spread it out over a few days like we’ve had, it’s really not bad. It’s.. fun? Plus, once you get to a certain point heading west the speed limit is 80, which feels like cheating. Cruise control has become my best friend. Mask-wearing kind of changes depending on what state you’re in, but mostly it’s been perfectly fine.
Anyway, if you’re looking for a reason to take this trip, let this be it: I’ve had less anxiety this past week than I’ve had all year. And did I mention I’ve been sharing a small space with my mother this whole time?
But it was my mom who calmed me down when we left Joni in the hotel room for a few hours one day, who reminds me (and then reminds me again) to let things go. I realized quickly that when I think back on this trip, I’m not going to remember how frustrated I was over a dog collar getting stuck. I’ll remember driving on those windy roads, my mom making friends with… everyone, nice people and delicious food and gorgeous scenery. Even a few days later and I’m struggling to remember how upset I felt sitting in that laundry room in Louisville on the first night.
It’s a good reminder for this trip and life, too.
I’ll write a more detailed guide about this trip for anyone who wants it, and anyone who still has questions about logistics, lodging, favorite dog diaper brands or best pastries in Santa Fe (Sage Bakehouse), just shoot me a note. In the meantime, we’re on our way to the petrified forest where I will absolutely not be stealing anything.
Love from the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas.
Love,
Jamie AF
We are STILL besties and most likely will continue to be so when all is said and done!
I love you!
xoxo
your F#1F
Oh, look! I'm the first one to comment. I've been following the drive, photos, food, drinks, sightseeing and shopping for the last week and am sooo glad to see a summary blog. Seriously, J-AF...you can't believe that you're "...still getting along so well?" This drive, or an event like it, was bound to happen at some point and IS successful based on the years-long relationship built between you and your mother (wait, let's not foget Nana's impact). OMG...the people who wish they can be doing this, too. Can't wait to hear about the rest. Loving me some AZ, but never in a teepee. Are these accommodations even PC? Enjoy the rest...almost in CA!