This past August, I came up with this bright idea – LET’S DRIVE 16 HRS TO CINCINNATI FROM HOUSTON! © I’m not usually a spontaneous person at all. I love to plan trips months in advance. But something hit me.….time is running out. I haven’t seen my family in over a decade. I refuse to be that person that only sees family at funerals. So, my daughter and I hit the road to visit my family and a few close friends. It was amazing! Everything I wanted it to be!

We left early on a Saturday morning about 4:30am. I had a goal of making it to Memphis, TN in time to visit the National Civil Rights Museum. It was incredible! I’m adding this to my top 10 museums! It’s located inside of the former Lorraine Hotel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in 1968. The exhibits are educational and interactive. It’s a cool experience.

Talk about memories! I loved being able to show my daughter the home I grew up in until I was 9 years old.
The people who lived there were kind enough to let me take a photo in front of the house. Although, I REALLY wanted to say “Can I come in and look around?” That would have been super awkward! But this house brings
back so many special moments. My great-grandmother lived with us in this home. This is where we road bikes all around the neighborhood and to the corner store to get pickles and Jolly Ranchers. This is the house where I did fashion shows in the driveway and neighbors came to watch with their lawn chairs.

It just so happened that my Aunt Cari and Uncle Ty were headed up to Cincinnati from North Carolina the same week! We all decided to do breakfast at my Aunt Pat’s house.  It was so great to see everyone altogether. My Aunt Pat, who is my oldest Aunt, struggles with Dementia and it was a little sad to see her not recognize some of us at first but once she did, it was like old times! We had great talks about life and “the good old days”. Here are a few tips for you to better communicate with loved ones who may have dementia.  I hope they help!

Now we aren’t gonna talk about how much weight I gained from eating all of my memories in Cincinnati! But I will show you my favorite pie in the whole world. It’s made at Busken Bakery which I wish was located in Houston, TX but it’s probably best that it isn’t! When I walked in, the smell of the fresh baked goods immediately reminding me of my dad bringing me into this very same location when I was a kid. Until he passed away, my father would always bring me a chess pie when he came to visit since I was kid.

I also took my daughter to see where her father and I got married. (This roadtrip lasted longer than our marriage but never-the-less, I thought she should see the park.) We drove past the school where almost my entire family went for high school. Super cool! We took in a REDS game, hung out at Eden Park, visited the Cincinnati Museum of Art and Finley Market.

I believe if you really want to create the ultimate experience make sure you are satisfying all of your senses! Here’s how my roadtrip did just that:

SIGHT – Seeing all of the trees and hills while driving in the car/ seeing friends and family/ childhood memories

TASTE – Ate too much of our hometown favorites like LaRosas Pizza, Busken Bakery, Skyline Chili & Frish’s

SMELL – As I mentioned earlier, the bakery I went to brought back so many memories

TOUCH – Lots of hugs during this roadtrips!

HEARING – Fans yelling at the REDS game, singing with my daughter in the car to our favorite old school songs!

We often joke, “Don’t forget where you came from!” But this is very true. How often do you visit the pleasant memories from your childhood? How often do you visit family? Especial those who may live far from you?  Time is short. Make more memories while you can! Also, ask questions! Learn about your family history! With technology, there’s no excuse not to document those moments for future generations!