We’re going on a road trip this week – from Johannesburg to Cape Town. Road trips are our thing.
My husband and I have been doing it since I lived in Port Elizabeth (and him in Johannesburg). I’m originally from the Western Cape, so most of my family and close friends live there. My parents moved from the Western Cape a few years ago to the Northern Cape.
Last year this time we also went on a road trip to do some gigs – my husband is a musician. This time on our trip, the first gig is an 80-year-old auntie’s birthday party. Husband will also perform at the Tulbagh Festival, which is the end of September.
PACKING AWAY
I’m almost certain I’m packing less stuff this time – but we’ll see. I’ve done some research online on how I can keep my toddler busy and I’ve read many mothers advise taking with favourite toys and books. Princess loves reading, so books should definitely be part of the plan.
She gets bored easily, so I’m a bit concerned about that. The last time we travelled I bought some new toys before we went. [The Crazy Store is my favourite go-to place because they have inexpensive things.] I’m going to do some more research to see what I can take with that’s already in our house – you know get creative somehow. Any ideas are welcome ladies and gents!
The one thing I always take with on our trip is a flask. I need a new one because the last one we had wasn’t right. It was hot on the outside – so it was basically just a holder. The heat didn’t stay in. We bought it from the shop that way – our first flask got lost somewhere during a previous road trip.
Why a flask? Princess still drinks formula milk. Also, it seems that every province’s water tastes different. We normally cook water for Princess to drink – it’s healthier that way. I also take with me a few plastic glasses and extra cold water and then let Princess’ milk bottle cool down in the glass.
NECESSITIES
I realised that one of the things that can be beneficial on a road trip is a flashlight. Last year we were in a place where there was electricity blackout in the whole area. Some of the guest houses (luckily ours too) had generators. It’s good if you have a flashlight, especially since not all the guest houses have generators.
We mostly don’t book the guest houses we live in – when Husband does a gig, we often get our accommodation sorted out too. I realised that if one arranges accommodation, you should inquire about things that can be beneficial for you and your baby. Ask about things like utensils and a kettle. It sucks if you’re at a place and you cannot boil water for your baby.
One thing that warmed my heart was a carpet in the bedroom (at one particular guesthouse we stayed at) – my child was only crawling at the time.
ON THE ROAD TOO MUCH
I won’t be attending all the gigs Husband performs at. I normally assess the situation since Princess (a toddler) is with us. Last year I took off some days (gigs) with her because I felt that going out every night with her is not a good idea. We need our rest too – by this I mean, quietness and being away from people.
One thing being on the road does to me is allowing me to be grateful for what I have. We see a lot of people from different backgrounds – often more people of impoverished communities. For instance, if we stop at filling stations for petrol or a break, there’s a lot of people asking for food or money.
I’m also mindful of the drought-situation in the Western Cape. I won’t take a shower until I’m back in Johannesburg again.
ANYWAY, I’m going to try and document our road trip journey. I’ll try to post some photo’s and videos on Facebook (Mels Postbox page) and perhaps Instagram (MelissaJavan) too.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve been on a road trip and what has it taught you. Also, what would you like to know more about regarding myself.
Thank you for reading!
Hi Melissa
That sounds exciting. I will be looking out for updates! Enjoy! 🙂
Looking forward to the updates. Travelling with Nicky at 6 months was just awful. At 3 was much better! We had a DVD player and that sorted him out.
I love road trips – haven’t done one in a while though. This sounds idyllic. By the way it doesn’t get any easier once kids grow up as they still moan when the road is long saying “are we there yet”. Good luck and safe travels.
I love road trips. What gets to me the most when Courta was a baby was the packing. I would pack like 4 bags only for him and a backpack for myself. Luckily now that he’s 8 both our clothing fit into one bag. Safe travels
Heather I know what you mean, we’re getting a lot of crying from our girl. Thank God for things like raisins to keep her busy for a while.
would have loved to see you. i went back on facebook for a few days, but deactivated my account again. too much happening.
i will keep a lookout for your blog entries. glad your trip went well.