ROADTRIP!

Ohhhh, the dreaded drive. I was really not planning on doing this so soon, but here we are—packing up snacks, pillows, and enough caffeine to keep a truck stop in business—because we’re about to make the 14+ hour trek back to good ole Bardstown.

And let me stop you right there: no, this is not a vacation. There will be zero “rest and relaxation.” This is a hit-the-road, make-it-to-the-hospital, turn-right-back-around kind of trip. My mother-in-law—aka Granny Rhonda to the kiddos and me—is having open heart surgery tomorrow. So as soon as the boys get out of school today, we’re hopping in our shiny rented Mustang (because if you’re going to be miserable, at least be miserable in style) and heading north. We’ll be at the hospital tomorrow for surgery, and then—get this—within 24 hours we’ll be turning back around to Florida so the boys only miss one day of school and have a chance to crash before Monday. Whew.

And seriously—WHY were airline tickets over a grand?! A grand! For that kind of money, I want a margarita, a neck pillow, and someone to personally fan me with a palm leaf while whispering, “you’re doing amazing, sweetie.” But no. We’re—well, I’m—driving. Again.

Now, confession time: my biggest fear isn’t even the long drive (or the fact that it’s basically 28+ hours total). It’s my hands. For whatever reason, driving just wrecks them. I don’t know if I grip the steering wheel like I’m clinging to life itself or what, but they get stiff and achy fast. Driving an hour to Lakeland for my favorite Mexican spot here already has me shaking my hands like I’m in a dance recital at red lights. So, yeah… 14+ hours straight? Pray for my hands, y’all.

But hey, silver lining—Bardstown means my real favorite Mexican dinner: El Jimador! You already know that as soon as we roll into town after leaving the hospital Friday, of course, I’ll be bypassing everything else and bee-lining straight for that Kentucky Margarita, salsa, and queso. Priorities.

And because you know I can’t resist dropping some Simply Sina wisdom, here are my tried-and-true road trip survival tips:

• Snacks are non-negotiable. I’m talking the good stuff—salty, sweet, crunchy, and something chocolatey for when the road rage kicks in.
• Playlists > sanity. You need the hype songs, the sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs throwbacks, and maybe a guilty pleasure or two (don’t lie, we all have them).
• Car karaoke is mandatory. Sorry, I don’t make the rules. If you’re not screaming 90s country at 2 AM somewhere in Georgia, are you even road-tripping?
• Stretch breaks. Don’t skip them, unless you enjoy feeling like a human pretzel when you finally get out of the car. And at my age, EVERYTHING gets stiff… FAST.
• Acceptance. It’s long, it’s tiring, but hey—you’re making memories (and possibly content for your next blog post).

So wish us luck, send good vibes for Granny Rhonda’s surgery, and stay tuned—next post, we’re back in the Bluegrass State. Kentucky, ready or not, here we come!

Pray for Granny Rhonda, pray for my hands, and for the love of salsa—pray for El Jimador to have a table and a margarita ready.