Over 5 years ago, when my younger son was in Boy Scouts, we went on a trip to spend a night on the battleship USS New Jersey in Camden, NJ .  I did not have a GPS back then, and depended on MapQuest.  Let me say upfront I do not like driving in NJ with what I consider poor signage, confusing exits or highway splits and unpredictable traffic.  As in, a 30 minute trip can, and has, taken 2 hours.  As in, even with a GPS I take wrong routes.  I grew up outside of Boston, a city where they say you can drive in, but not back out because of it’s crazy streets.  And I still think NJ is crazier to drive.

So, here we are, having crossed over the George Washington Bridge and hurtling down the highway when the signs say I have to take this way, or that, and be quick about it.  Trying to read MapQuest printed directions in the middle of the highway with an impending choice proved to be a feat I did not master.  We were at the Delaware River Gap before I knew I had gone the wrong way!  Which meant the directions I had were now useless.  We pulled over to a rest stop and called a friend who had access to MapQuest on his computer.  It took a bit, but we found where I was and the roads to get us to where we wanted to end up.  Through Pennsylvania, through Philadelphia and to the ship. An hour and a half out of our way.  I was starting to stress.

As we drove through Amish country, enjoying the quaint farmland as we drove by,  my son turned to me with a smile and said, “We’re not lost, we’re on an Adventure!”

Ever since, that has been my journey.  Never lost.  Always on an Adventure!

We enjoyed seeing the Amish countryside as we drove to NJ

Battleship USS New Jersey, Camden NJ