on traveling with a spouse

My family and I are super experts at road trips.  We started with pillows and radio surfing (...this was before iPods...) and now we don't need pillows, we don't taunt each other (much), and no one asks "How many more miiinuuuteess?"  Each winter we make a journey to a place to snowboard or ski, which means at least 12 hours of driving time each direction.  Most years, it's 16.  That's a lot of car time, folks.

This Christmas was the second time the hubz has come back to my hometown with me (the first was as a boyfriend -- THAT was exciting), and I think I feel qualified enough to share a few ideas for easier travel with the spouse.

1.  Travel in the same car. Honestly, it's good to be forced into close company.  It's good bonding, it's good family time, everyone gets a chance to rotate seats, and you get to know each other in a whole new way.  Mostly, it's just a good fun.  

2.  Maintain your caffeine and food schedules.  This seems silly, right?  Every person in my family has a caffeine habit. Coffee is considered the Nectar of the Gods at my parents' house.  When one person doesn't get their regular Nectar, things could get rather touchy rather quickly.  There is also such an emotion as "hangry."  Hungry + moodyfrombeinghungry = hangry.  Both you and spouse do better with regular food and regular legal addictive stimulants. So do siblings. Usually.

3.  Set aside together time. Without family. Just you two.  It's nice, trust me. Sitting in front of the tv having coffee counts.  So does shooting each other in Halo.  As long as it's time to be together without having to share.  

4.  Don't panic. You like each other. 

xoxo Susannah