Lessons from the Road

****Matt’s version****

So Erica has requested my lessons from the road. I’m not sure I can come up with the kind of blog caliber that she is used to producing, but here goes…

• Do 10 push-ups every time you stop the car for food or gas – it helps you not feel like a worthless blob on the long travel days
• Get down to the complementary breakfast early cause the cinnamon rolls go fast (more reason that the push-up thing is a good idea)
• When you are staying in a city for one night book a roach motel through priceline.com for $35 so that you can save and book a nicer hotel for the cities where you are staying for a few days
• When sharing a room with your kids confirm that they are fully asleep before attempting to enjoy “mommy & daddy time” ahem…
• Become good friends with the guy that has the night shift at the front desk. They aren’t thrilled with working through the night yet they have equal power as the daytime guy – can you say UPGRADE?
• Confirm with the hotel that their indoor pool is indeed heated cause nothing is worse than  cold indoor pool
• Take cues from your kids – their simplicity, innocence, and imagination is inspiring.
• Do not ever fully trust your GPS. It’s correct 87% of the time – but that 13% makes you want to shoot someone. Do a Google search before you leave and write down addresses and phone numbers.
• Along with that, go and read restaurant reviews before you head out for the unknown – it’s the difference of getting an ok meal and a meal that is a local legend.
• When you have to leave for morning events before the kids are awake you better have all your clothes laid out in the bathroom the night before…because God help you if you wake the kids on the way out
• When your 2-yr-old is still awake at 1:48am while driving, just go with it – turns out he’s the best conversationalist at that time of night anyway.
• Hand Sanitizer is always a better choice than washing up in the gas station bathroom in Mena, Arkansas – ALWAYS.
• If the city you are in has a “hands-on” children’s museum you should go to that – it reminds you to dream, play, and imagine in ways you forget while being an adult
• Starbucks Via (instant coffee) is pretty handy for the drives in the middle of nowhere and the hotels that have crappy coffee
• Leave for your meetings and events way too early and you’ll never be stressed about time. And always way overestimate how long it will take you to travel between cities and you won’t be frustrated when you are pulling in at 3am.
• When you have a chance to experience another world – like a cow roping or livestock auction, you do it because it’s awesome and you’ll be glad you did.
• Hotels that have complimentary breakfast end up saving you a lot more money than you’d think
• Check everything in your room – AC, water, smells, whether or not the carpet is soaking wet (yes that is real example) – before you start unpacking and getting settled.
• Get used to host and hostesses looking at you like you are satan himself when you say, “7 adults & 3 highchairs please.”
• Make sure to have an incredible wife like Erica Deuel who is willing to go on the road with our kids for two months otherwise you’ll never make it! 😉 Thank you babe for making this trip so easy for me and so awesome for our family!