Slice of Life Tuesday: On a Road Trip, We Will Go!

People I know take shopping road trips all the time. Part of the reason is that we live in a smaller area with less human density. This is a good thing. But, once in a while, it is fun to take a trip to spend a day shopping. This is especially so since no one in my family is a “huge” shopper.  The nice, and sometimes necessary,  part of getting out of one’s local area to shop is that you can usually find something that you cannot get locally.

Such was the case yesterday. One of my sons requested a shopping trip in lieu of Christmas presents this year. Admittedly, he is hard to buy for so, I agreed. He thought that waiting until after the holidays would be best, as his work schedule was precluding several days off in a row. Once he got his January schedule, we made a plan to have our trip.

The day arrived yesterday. We drove to Oshkosh Wisconsin, which is about 3 hours from where we live to shop at the Outlets at Oshkosh and the Fox River Mall.  A few years ago I became acquainted with the stores in these establishments while my husband was in Appleton Wisconsin for a work-related stay. I thought it was a good choice for the variety.  We planned to stay overnight.

Yesterday, we had an enjoyable ride across our state to reach our destination. Luckily, the roads were in good shape and we arrived without any problems. At noon, we found the outlet mail very quiet. We made the rounds, finding little until about halfway through our visit. My son was looking for “more grown-up apparel.” At twenty, he is caught somewhere between Hollister and Brooks Brothers!

I found a nice coat I liked but I need a new coat like a hole in the head. I collect coats like some women collect shoes or purses and men collect cars. I apologize if you think that is stereotypical but for me, it is truly how I see it.

After we made the rounds there, we had lunch at Johnny Rockets, which is adjacent to the outlet stores.  The lunch was okay. It satisfied our need to eat. After all, it was 2pm. We headed to the hotel to check-in. It was another half-hour drive into Appleton.

The Fox River Mall is still alive and well! We shopped until we were tired. My son found a few items of clothing that fit what he was looking for and I even managed to talk him into two casual button-down shirts that could be worn with jeans or chinos. We headed back to the hotel, forgoing a dinner at Stone Arch Brew Pub due to being tired.

Today is another day. Typically, I rush home after a trip like this. But, my husband encouraged us to take our time. And, I am making a conscious effort to enjoy life more and not feel so pressured to “perform” or meet some invisible obligation I have stuck in my head. So, we will head back to the mall area. We missed an entire section of the mall last night so we’ll go back to check out the stores there – mostly women’s wear stores and a Pottery Barn.  It’s been a fun trip with my son.  He’s game to go back.

We’ll head home later today.

Today is Slice of Life Tuesday. This writing forum is hosted by TwoWritingTeachers.org blog each week. In March of each year, they also host a thirty-day writing challenge. I’ve participated in this group for the last three years. Thank you for offering a wonderfully supportive writing community!