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Greetings!
We are recently back from a road trip that took us through the northwestern, midwestern, and great plains states. We used a Rand McNally Road Atlas to chart our daily drive, camped along the way, stayed in hotels from time-to-time and my husband celebrated his 50th birthday in Badlands National Park with coyotes howling and an owl on guard throughout the night -- his Happy Birthday symphony.
As with any trip there was much to observe -- some sights were exhilarating - vast landscapes and a close encounter with a free-roaming buffalo - but other sights reflected the state of our economy and perhaps also the life of young people.
Few cars were on the roads and many a dream had been abandoned -- gas stations, cafes, corner markets, etc. -- even at what seemed to be busy stops along the highway. We noticed that the majority of families who were traveling were with children 10 years of age and under, and the couple of times when we saw teens they were with youth camps. What really struck me was how few children we saw playing outside in the many towns through which we traveled. We passed hundreds if not thousands of front and back yards and we only saw a couple of soccer teams on a field outside of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, two Amish boys racing around in a buggy with a frisky pony, three boys on bikes getting soda from a machine outside a gas station and that was about it in 17 days! Swimming pools were unoccupied, parks were vacant, and at times it felt just plain eerie.
Our 14-year old became curious about each state and would dive into map reading, confirming we were going the correct direction, asking questions about the state we were in, and noting places to stop along the way. At least 3 times a day she would ask, "Can I see the map please?" I guess one has to find something to do when travelling 13+ hours a day without a video screen on board -- boredom can be a wonderful thing. She was both observant and invested in knowing where she had been and where she was going. When we were in Seattle, which was unfamiliar to her, we had her navigate where we should go -- how to walk from point A to B, decipher ferry schedules, find the ticket window, and walk ahead of us on the street as if she lived there.
It's easy when you do things as a family for parents to take the lead, but periodically we would take a back seat, providing our daughter with opportunities to navigate unfamiliar environments -- a skill she needs in order to effectively move through life. Perhaps on our next big U.S.A. road trip we will truly be in the back seat, because she will be behind the wheel!
All the best in your parenting,
-Kay
Enjoy reading this month's article, "Five College Parenting Tips: Courtesy of Excellent Coaches"
Kay Kimball Gruder
Find me on Twitter @KKimballGruder or http://twitter.com/KKimballGruder .
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As the parent of an athlete I spend a lot of time listening to coaches and observing organized sports. 
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