The Gift of a Road Trip

Missy Sherburne
Sep 4, 2018 · 2 min read

The first week of 9th grade my oldest son, Samuel, was given a prompt to write a paragraph or two about an experience from summer. Then, he needed to ask an adult to write about that same experience from their perspective. He selected our road trip down I-95 South in July and invited me to share my perspective. And this is the response I emailed to his teacher. Samuel shared his reflection with me and while our versions started differently, when they ended, our perspectives were on the same road.

Harrison, my youngest son, was off to Ireland with my parents, my husband was staying in Rhode Island, and that meant Samuel and I were on a road trip together, heading South. Two days on I-95 from Newport, Rhode Island to Raleigh, North Carolina with a pit stop in Baltimore. Road trips with Samuel have been one of my favorite times with him. He DJs. I listen to his music. He tolerates mine. We talk. We talk about everything. We talk about nothing. We can be silent. The best possible road trip partner.

I-95 can be an absolute bear — this year it was easy. The beauty of traveling with a teen is their keen use of technology for navigation purposes. Hitting NYC — Tappan Zee or George Washington Bridge? Samuel — Figure it out and tell me the best route. Tappan Zee it is. We made record time, stopped in one of my most favorite cities, Baltimore, and stayed with some of my dearest friends in the world. It’s July 31, my birthday, and I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate — with Samuel, Peter, Sonya, Cole, and Roger — on the water, downtown at Nick’s Fish House. We gorge on seafood, we laugh till we cry and then we eat cake and toast life and friendships. This is the gift of road trips.

Missy Sherburne
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