Motherhood Win: Driving Without a Destination

Motherhood is exhausting at times… okay, maybe most of the time. From sun up until sundown, and oftentimes multiple instances throughout the night, we are tending to our tiny humans making sure all of their needs are met. What does this mean? Well, a lot of times this means that we are on the brink of insanity a majority of the time. A lot of times this means we are aching for a break but don’t have anywhere to turn to get one. A lot of times this means mom guilt, lack of patience, and a short temper when those cute (thank GOD they’re cute… if they weren’t, I don’t know what would happen!) little faces demand a snack RIGHT NOW and they just ate half of the pantry. I have found a solution for those days when I am inching towards a breakdown!

I used to tell myself that it was a waste of gas, but once I became a mama of two, I soon realized this tool was not a waste of anything-- it was a dream for my sanity. Unless you have a child that doesn’t like the car (my youngest when he isn’t tired), this is a perfect way to be able to drink your coffee while it is still freaking hot and listen to a podcast, music, or audiobook you enjoy. Grab the kids a snack or gosh forbid, a darn sucker, and hit the road! Sometimes I drive through super fancy housing developments in my area and dream of houses I would love to live in someday. Sometimes I just slowly muddle through town or older neighborhoods I used to frequently drive through and see what has changed. The kids are confined and mama can reset!

I remember the very first time I did this and realized how much I enjoy the thoughtless wandering. It was actually an accident. I had messed up my grocery pickup time and was an hour off from what I thought it was so I drove to town to get groceries before realizing that my groceries weren’t ready yet. What am I going to do for an hour, I thought. It was winter, so there was no stopping by the park, and I had two tiny humans that I was still learning to balance, I wasn’t about to adventure into a store solo with them that day. So what did I do? I drove. I grabbed a coffee and I drove up into a housing development I hadn’t been in for years to see what had changed. That was an hour of sanity I enjoyed and needed for more than I realized I did. And from that day on, I decided I would no longer allow myself (or anyone else) to make me feel guilty for escaping the confines of my home and just driving.

Now, the truth is, my husband may or may not give me a little flack for this… but the other truth is, he isn’t the one surviving 10 solo hours with two, going on three, little gremlins! Soooo, I do what I want! Ha! ;) This life hack of just driving with no purpose is one every mother should use (especially when you’re transitioning from 1 to 2 kiddos and the little one will sleep the majority of the time you’re driving). Don’t feel guilty, just soak it up and ENJOY! You deserve a little time to drink your coffee and engage in mindless thinking! You’re doing great mama!

- Kassidy K.