Family Travel

I love my family. I think they are awesome. But traveling with them isn't something I always look forward to. With a slightly neurotic dad and my overly friendly mother, my stress level is to a max.

My mom talks to everyone within a 3 foot radius of her when we travel. When I mean everyone, I mean the person sitting next to her on the plane - no matter how interested or disinterested they may be-, the baby in the elevator, the person in line at Seattle's Best Coffee, the person waiting to grab their luggage, the person waiting to check their bags, I mean anyone. I am totally OK with being friendly, but at airports

- interruption in live time: as a perfect example of this, some lady just sat down next to us as we're waiting for my dad to come back with the rental car. My mom just looked over and says "Hello!". Now she's asking questions. Do you see what I'm saying?

ok back to my story, at airports I feel like a lot of people are needing to move quick, get their stuff, and get to where they are going. My mom completely interrupts this process. And how can you not talk to my mom? She's so sweet and cute and unassuming. Our flight out of Tallahassee was at 6:30am, so we are on the plane at like 6:10am. Our seats were separated, so my mom ends up sitting by herself and plops down to some fratty looking undergrad. My dad and I know what is coming and want to warn the Fratty Fellow, but there's nothing we can do.

- interruption in real time again: my mom just put a bookmark her book so she's really about to reel this poor lady in.

Anyways, my mom starts chatting up her Fratty Friend and from the snippets I hear of their conversation, I understand that he's 21, goes to Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas, was just in Panama City on vacation before summer school, and went to a wedding last night. Now, if that was you, would you be AT ALL wanting to talk to a stranger on a plane? at 6:15am? Poor guy. You know he's blogging right this second about his experience on the plane "Dude, this lady talked my ear off and all I wanted to do nurse my hangover."

- interruption in real time: mom's new lady friend's ride just got here and she's leaving....I think my mom is sad her friend is gone.

My dad on the other hand is neurotic, anxious, and unfriendly when we travel. Pops wants to arrive early, check in, get through security, get to the gate - no time for jokes or funny business. You can see that my mom's behavior adds to my dad's stress of traveling.

Dad just showed up with the rental car - he's running around - better go help. Sigh.