Our first Magical Mystery tour

I read a book a very long time ago called "Mothers that run", and as per usual I can't remember the author. It was a study of mothers that had abandoned their families, left, gone awol etc. Unthinkable as it might be to do such a thing, but it happens, and it happens a lot.
I read the book purely out of curiosity, and cause I almost did the same thing a couple of years prior when I only had 3 children. The pressure was too much, when for some absurd reason I thought the kids would be better off without me. I jumped into my freedom nomad van and drove to the end of our street, a grand distance of 2 houses away. Which way should I turn, left or right? when the thought come over me, will the kids be alright?, will they be loved the way I love them?, will someone sacrifice everything for them the way I do? What will they tell them when the kids ask "where is mum?". That last one was enough for me to turn the van around. Thankfully the van had a very small turning circle and I don't have to do an eight point turn to turn the van around like I have to do with my current car. I was gone a whole 3.25 minutes and no one till now was any wiser to my being awol.
2 days later I left again, this time with the kids in tow. We were going on a magical mystery tour. Packing their bags with daywear, sleepwear, swimwear, floaties, towels and pillows we set off to go somewhere.
Oldest boy Ryan sat in the front seat with a series of road maps and we set off south towards the southern highlands. Originally it was to be just a picnic to the Blue Mountains for the day, but the then husband was a bit weary as he worked all week, the poor dear opted out to catch up on some sleep. We four returned 4 days later, with smiles bigger than Mt Everest. The kids were 9, 7 and 5 at the time and they still remember that experience with chuckles.
Especially when we randomly climbed a fence into a paddock somewhere near Nowra to take a closer look at the most majestically impressive Moreton Bay Fig tree imaginable. We were doing a rain dance around the base when we realised that we didn't want rain while we were away, so we went in reverse to undo the rain dance. Number 2 son Drue, spotted a bull in the far left corner of the paddock who was having a serious stare at some absurd human antics. We screamed comically all the way down the hill, up the gully and back over the fence. We collapsed in hysterical laughter on the side of the road as the bull was left behind still staring at us while chomping on some fodder.
The first night we camped in the car park at a beach. We had swum till it was too dark, and skipped up the road to the fish and chip shop. Not just normal skipping, it had to be the most animated, weirdest skip that could be contrived, the contest was on. It took me a few attempts to get the rhythm of skipping, as one becomes an adult it's a skill that one loses, which is so sad. I huffed and puffed and laughed trying to order while the kids giggled. By the time I eventually managed to articulate the order even the cook was laughing.
We made a beach camp fire, roasting or burning marshmallows stabbed on the end of twigs. Summertime is great for these sort of adventures. The Nissan Nomad 8 seater van was the best friend the family could have, with all the seats laid down flat it was very comfortable to sleep all 4 of us in, though Ryan did snore.
As the sun rose the next morning, Drue and I went swimming while the 2 sleeping beauties slumbered on. Ravishingly hungry we ventured to McDonalds to have our very first McDonalds breakfast ever. Hmm, yum, I didn't know the hotcakes they served are that good.
We drove around to visit as many different beaches and places as possible in the next 3 days, but did spend the next 2 nights in a motel to sleep.
Time came to go home, we travelled back through the southern highlands via a different route. As I pulled up in our driveway it had been dark for some time. My future ex husband came out and said "That was a very long picnic". Ryan had woken and said "And it was the best ever Dad!".
That was our very first magical mystery tour and over the years we have gone and discovered some amazing places on and off the beaten track. We never booked any accommodation, the van proved as always to be a reliable host when needed. We've stayed in some eclectic places, some remembered with fondness and some not to be remembered.
The whole idea was to jump in the van and just go in any direction that took our fancy, throw away the boundaries, the schedules, the fear and enjoy some amazing fun bonding with each other.
Every time I left, the kids came too.
Enjoy!