Driving trips were a family favorite when our kids were little.  We would spend spring evenings with a road atlas and assorted travel guides planning our summer adventure.  By the time the kids were six or seven, they were avid participants and would peruse the maps looking for interesting stops to include in our chosen itinerary.

On occasion their suggestions could add hundreds of extra miles to get to intriguing places like “Casper” the friendly ghost town, but we would always work out the kinks.  When we were finished planning, everyone was excited to hit the road.

I have fond memories of those trips; not only the sights that we saw but the time spent together.  There were rounds of “I Spy” and “Name that Tune” on driving days.  There were impromptu history lessons at famous landmarks and there were food adventures that our oldest welcomed and our youngest feared.

We made the most of every day and when we finally headed toward home, we kept the adventure going.  I vividly remember our daughter riding in the front seat with her feet on the dash singing along to the radio. She was determined to keep the magic alive until the very last moment.

It turns out that those road trips are a good analogy for life.  If you are lucky, you approach ‘the road ahead’ with enthusiasm and an open mind.  You lay out a general route, filled with interesting places and people.  At each stop along the way you learn from the experiences at hand and adapt when necessary.  Both the good days and the not so good days have something to offer.

Perhaps the most important lesson comes when you turn toward home.  Even though much of the adventure is completed there are still moments to savor.  There are intriguing people and places yet to experience, unexpected moments to enjoy and plenty of toe-tapping music to accompany the trip.