School break is right around the corner and I bet all of you parents and kiddies are planning a family trip. Whether adventuring somewhere warm or simply taking a long weekend in the hills, it's important to be prepared and have the right attitude. I recently sat down with one of most well known family travelers, who puts the "What the FU..." in family fun. Feel free to take notes on the Travel Top 10 from Handy Andy.
10: Don't set an Estimated Time of Departure. Keep your options open. Not setting a specific time to leave makes your kids more excitable and agitated, which is exactly the temperament you'd like your children to have before locking them in a moving box for hours on end.
9: Make sure to pack snacks for the ride. Like chocolate frosted donuts.
8: Nothing makes a long car ride better than asking the family to play the "quiet game" while you participate in a conference call.
7: It's not about the destination. It's about the journey. Especially when the journey includes getting lost twice within 25 miles of your house because you would rather trust Google maps than road signs or just a basic, good old understanding of geography.
6: Make sure to plan several activities that pique the interest of each family member, like shopping for men's dress shoes and dress shirts or going to a brewery and watching hockey.
5: Sacrifice your data plan for cartoon watching in restaurants. Yes, it hurts the pocket book, but it means you can eat your dinner.
4: Whatever you do, don't pack the kids' stuff. That way, when something is missing you can feel totally good about shrugging your shoulders and mumbling, "I dunno" when a kid asks where her goggles, underwear, blankie, teddy bear, or mittens are.
3: Buy the kids whatever they want. Again, it hurts the pocket book but do what you can to get in one more beer.
2: Road trips are a great time to catch up with your spouse- talk about all those things you've not had the chance to process. Remember to keep your wife close and your phone closer.
1: When you get home, and everyone is cranky, and there's tons of clothes to wash, trinkets to put away, and mouths to feed-disappear. Follow that misguided, misdirected Google maps app and get lost.
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