The drive to Philadelphia started just a little ahead of schedule. However, both Dawn and I felt that this was the most unorganized we had ever been before leaving on vacation. Dawn did a great job of packing for herself, Koben, and me. She made her usual list of items to take to the beach, which included food, clothing, and toiletries and packed everything on the list. I was confident in her packing and preparing abilities, but it still felt a little unorganized.

Maybe it was simply the fact that we had never had a third person to worry about on a vacation. It had always been just the two of us, and we have always had enough time to pack and prepare. Now, however, time was limited. I was working in Erie, PA until 5 o’clock everyday, spend over an hour driving home, cook and eat dinner, spend time with Koben and Dawn, and go to sleep. Dawn spent her days “working at home” with Koben. He is not high maintenance, but there is still considerable maintenance necessary for an eight-month-old baby. Therefore, her time was limited to just little chunks while Koben slept or played by himself. These little chunks of time were also for activities like cleaning and eating.

The good news is that I did not forget the “freezer bag.” The “freezer bag” is just what the name says, a bag full of the freezer foods that we are taking. This bag had become infamous a few years back during our first trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Somehow, we left it behind. It was sitting in the freezer waiting for us to return. Next year, destination Outer Banks, NC, we had traveled about five miles when we realized we forgot the freezer bag and had to turn around to return home and pick up the bag.

I arrived home at around 4 o’clock that Friday (our departure day) and started to pack the car. We purchased a new car this year, a 2004 Chevy Impala, with the hopes that it would be a good family vacation car. The trunk is huge and the interior is very roomy. For Dawn and me, it would be plenty of room. We had always completely packed our previous cars trunks and backseats to the maximum. This car was larger and we only had one more person for which to pack. How much luggage could one little person need for a week’s vacation?

As it turns out, a stroller, a jumper, a pack and play and a basket of toys takes up a lot of space. In addition, we had to be mindful of what we packed in the back seat. Koben was riding back there (one more item that took up the newly purchased space) and we did not want anything in the passenger compartment that could hurt him if we were in an accident.

I packed the car once, but still had more items to pack, so I had to unpack and start again. It took three packings to get it right. The odd shapes of everything that we were taking, plus the order in which we would need it caused the complication. We needed to have the stroller, golf clubs, and an overnight bag easily accessible for our weekend stay in Philadelphia.

On the road, a half an hour early, we made good time and Koben was asleep. He was the sole reason that we planned to leave at 7 o’clock. Koben does not like to be in his car seat during his playtime. We had failed previously to transport him during playtime and had concluded though a couple of test trips that sleep time was definitely the best time to drive. A nap sleep time would only get us about two hours of driving. It is about five and a half hours to Philadelphia by car, so we planned to drive during his nightly sleep time. Dawn would force him to stay awake for most of the day, cutting out his afternoon nap. The plan worked. He was tired and asleep within a half an hour of our departure on US 322.

Koben woke up about two and a half hours into the trip. It was time for his nightly bottle. We were now on I-80, where we would remain for the next hour or so. We stopped at the next available rest stop and prepared his bedtime feast. He ate it very quickly and was ready to play. We left the rest stop and gave Koben some toys, including his Clifford book. As we continued our drove across I-80, Koben played without a fuss. Koben was back asleep within a half an hour and so far, our journey was a success.

We changed roads to I-476, the PA turnpike’s northern extension, and stopped for a restroom break at the first available rest stop. Koben woke up briefly and cried, but we rushed to get back on the road so he could sleep. I-476 lacks any kind of scenery, especially at 11 o’clock at night. Our few points of excitement were the few times we could see the lights of a city off in the distance. Luckily, we only had to spend a little over an hour on that road. Soon we were onto I-276 and almost done with the PA turnpike.

We arrived in Philadelphia right on schedule, 12:30 a.m., and Koben was still asleep. We unpacked the necessities and headed in to Holly and Dave’s small but comfortable apartment, at least for a trio of weary travelers from Franklin. Dave was asleep, but Holly and Lucy (their dog) were waiting for us. We settled in, talked for a while, and went to bed.