Traveling with my family feels like I’m traveling with a zoo. More specifically, three birds, a tiger, and chihuahua.
I’m in the middle row of our three row mini van with my two sisters with my younger brother in the back row.
The conversations sound something like this; “OMG! I can’t even! Chatter chatter chatter! Doctor Who nerdy stuff! NOOO! ROSE! JON! Stahp it!”
It’s a constant twittering. Constant. But that’s to be expected when traveling with three young birds.
Driving is the chihuahua, he randomly barks at the birds and tiger between his bouts of intense conversation. Usually about a favorite book or film. He drives with the attention span expected and makes abrupt turns to coincide with his barking points. He is scattered but vigilant.
And finally the tiger. She rides to the right of the chihuahua. She uses her navigating skills to keep the chihuahua on course and from getting too distracted. She has the heavy paw in the car and dominates the choice of topics. Ironically avoiding graphic and insensitive talking points.
Which leaves me as the unqualified supervisor. It definitely feels like a menagerie, but somehow no one gets devoured. I can only imagine this is like some odd version of Charlottes Web where we all coexist. Never before had I heard of this many contradicting animals working as a unit.
I guess we are a family full of firsts.
SURVIVAL OF THE SAVVY 