Are We There Yet?
May 20, 2026 at 07:30PMBooks, toys, blankets, and various other detritus are strewn across James Wade’s Toyota Sequoia as he and his family crisscross Texas on long road trips, at his wife’s insistence that “exploration and adventure are key to a happy childhood.” Sometimes it is chaos—and Wade is honest about that, with a wry humor. But sometimes, it is just lovely. You’ll want to jump in for this ride.
Jonah throws his milk and it explodes against the window. Jordan unbuckles and corkscrews around in the passenger seat, reaching for the milk before it leaks over the books, toys, and blankets that cover the floorboard. A shrill and repetitive ding is added to the clamor of sound as the car chastises Jordan for not being buckled in. And even amid the chaos, as we pass a herd of mule deer, I can’t stop myself from saying, “Look, mule deer!”
“K-pop!”
Ding!
“Get me out!”
“They’re different from whitetail.”
Ding!
“Shhh! It’s OK, buddy.”
“You can tell by their ears.”
“I have to pee!”
“Out!”
“Daddy, it’s an emergency!”
“Did y’all see the deer?”
from Longreads https://longreads.com/2026/05/20/are-we-there-yet/
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