The Bumpy Car

We have a new car,a bumpy one. By new, I mean new to us. It is second hand. Purchased from some good friends of ours, who also live here, but who have bought themselves a new car. It's not the VW Polo Golf I was hoping for, but it is certainly a car that will suit this terrain, and allow us to travel off road in 4WD mode without any concerns. It has really opened us up to being able to enjoy adventures and daytrips beyond our own small town. Getting out of town breaks up the monotony of small town living, and reminds us how lucky we are to have the chance to live in this part of the world. We're still keeping our family SUV, and will use the new car for anything a little off road.

There is something to be said for this "Bumpy Car', so called by my eldest daughter, due to the bumpy off road trips we have taken in it so far. It brings with it a sense of excitement and adventure. As a result, my husband likes tinkering on it, and both my girls love playing in it. This car has garnered more interest from the girls, then any other car we have previously owned. And it is by no means, not the nicest car that we have owned. To them, it seems it is more than just a car, but a means to adventures to rockpools, the local dam and other such places.

There is something cosy, and exciting about sitting as a family in there, surrounded by bags of belongings, toys and snacks, ready to hit the road. Last stop out of town is always to the local bottleshop, for a drive thru takeaway coffee which we pay $6 for the privilege of. Fortunately the local bottle shop attendant always provides a large handful of marshmallows and biscuits for the girls, which offsets the price of the coffees, enough to make it worthwhile. Once we've pulled up to the small window, collected our coffees and snacks, a collective are we ready to hit the road, turn in our seats to look back at the girls, is always heart warming. Nobody is grizzling, nobody needs anything, everybody is just excited and happy. If nothing else, the car is worthwhile for that fleeting few seconds of cosiness, adventure and excitement.

The bumpiness of trips in this "Bumpy Car", reveals the true natures of both my girls.  My youngest, holding onto the headrests of her car seat with her hands, with a huge grin on her face. My eldest, though excited to be in the bumpy car, has her eyes firmly fixed on the end destination (usually a rockpool), rather than the journey, and holds her favourite toy Toby, stroking his ears with mostly a look of concern and worry.

My role in the journey, as there is no Bluetooth in the car, is to provide the soundtrack for the journey. A mixed CD. It's been a while since I've needed to do that. But it adds to the adventure of the roadtrip when getting ready the following day.

 I like songs with a little bit of weight, I find it adds to the journey and matches the surroundings. Boy & Bear- Southern Sun being my current favourite. Rodriguez- Cause. John Mayer- Queen of California. Woods- Rain On. Anything by the Tallest Man on Earth. I'm running out of ideas and new music. Any suggestions would be much welcomed!

Happy driving!