I was a total city kid, so our summer road trips were everything. My dad, bless his heart, saved up and bought this old camper van… I think it had a million miles on it, seriously. The eight of us would just pile in—my family, my aunt, my cousins—and drive up and down the east coast. It had this table that turned into a bed, and another bed up top. The outside was… memorable. Big yellow and white stripes and a giant bumblebee on the back that said ‘Vacation Van.’ God, it was so ugly, but you know what? Some of my best memories are from that thing.
Now that I'm a parent, I get it. I try to get the kids out of the city any chance we get. Honestly, car trips are kind of our sacred space. Once the kids are finally asleep in the back, it’s just me and my husband, and we can actually talk. Like, really talk about the week and everything else. I've really come to love that time. Most summers, we escape to upstate New York. It’s about a three-hour drive, which is usually just manageable enough.
So, last Saturday, we packed everything up for our big drive. It was early, a few hours after breakfast, so I thought, 'Okay, we're in the clear. No car sickness today.' Famous last words, right? Not even an hour into the drive, my toddler just… let loose. All over his car seat. And when I say all over, I mean everywhere. It was just… wow. And the whole time, all I could think was, 'Of course. Of course this would happen to the woman who literally runs a company that sells motion sickness lollipops.' The universe has a weird sense of humor, I swear.
We had to pull over at the first rest stop we saw. Thankfully, I’m one of those 'always be prepared' people, so we managed the cleanup. After it was all over, he just looked at me with those big, sad eyes and asked for something to suck on. Poor little guy, his stomach was just completely empty. I just reached right for my lollipops—I always have a stash in the passenger seat pocket—and gave him one. He just leaned back, closed his eyes, and started licking it. The relief was instant, for both of us.
You know, everyone talks about the big road trip checklist—checking the tires, the fluids, all that stuff. And yeah, that’s important. But what I’ve learned is that the little checklist is just as crucial, especially if you have anyone who gets even a little bit queasy in the car. Kids are the hardest because they don’t always tell you they’re feeling sick until it’s… well, too late. So yeah, I’ve realized having a little emergency kit for that kind of accident is a total non-negotiable for me now.
Okay, so here's my must-have list. I pretty much refuse to go on a long drive without this stuff in the car now.
Â
Car sickness travel checklist:
-
1 or 2 empty plastic bags
-
MommaBear Nausea & Motion sickness lollipops
-
A box of tissues
-
A roll of bounties
-
Wet wipes
Our car isn't huge, so I’ve started putting the wipes, tissues, and paper towels into big ziplock bags. They fit way better in the glove compartment that way and don't get crushed.
I just love a good road trip, and it feels like everyone else does too these days. I think I saw a poll somewhere that said for a ton of people, like 80 percent, a road trip was one of their happiest moments since all the craziness of 2020 started. It kind of makes sense, right? People just seem to appreciate them more now.
I'm a total sucker for new trip ideas, I'm always looking for our next little adventure. I stumbled across this article the other day with some amazing ideas for summer trips, so I figured I’d share it here. Hope you have fun out there. Travel safe, and you know, be prepared for anything!
It's funny how some of the most stressful moments, like a roadside cleanup, end up becoming part of the story you tell later. I guess that’s just what family trips are all about… a little bit of chaos, a little bit of magic, and a whole lot of memories. I wouldn't trade it.
