For me, road tripping conjures up images of long stretches of road in a big car with open windows (because of the heat), music blaring from the front speakers and people singing along to old familiar songs – most important is the packed food consisting of sandwiches, boiled eggs, Oros and fruit. It’s the stuff movies are made of.
With this in mind, my 20-year-old daughter and I embarked on a mini road trip to spend some time together after a hard year. She had passed her second year of university with flying colours and I thought she needed something to celebrate. I handed over the keys of my red Jeep and told her she could drive.
We had no itinerary or accommodation that was booked. I had my cellphone on my lap, connected to Airbnb, and as we neared a town I made a booking. We knew we wanted to do the Garden Route. One day a good friend of mine asked, “So, are you two bonding or are you ready to kill each other?” It made me think. My answer was, “We keep busy.”
Keeping Busy – Bonding
This made me realise that being alone with her without the interference of anyone else meant that we could have talked about the birds and the bees, reminisced about the good old days or nit-picked until there was a fight.
We spoke about adventures and stuff like skydiving. We talked when we had to. I listened to her insights and thought that at her age, they were not too shabby. She loves the beautiful countryside as much as I do and said that she wanted to live and work in the Wilderness. That idea in itself needed some unpacking, but I left it at that.
Take That Road Trip
Getting to know your country, or any other you may visit, can only happen when you hit the roads and stop at seemingly insignificant places.
We stopped at the tractor museum in Albertinia, which I would normally have passed by, and it gave me an insight into the heart of what makes our country tick. So does any small dorpie. Travelling is indeed a road map for relationships too, like pit stops through your own life journey.
Go on, take that road trip. Load your playlist, pack a lunch and stop next to the road, jump out of the car in a new place and enjoy the rush or glide over a mountain top with the wind rushing past your ears… and just be.
TILL NEXT TIME
Ingrid Jones
