Bourbon & Boots Love: Traveler’s Map of America

THIS BEAUTIFUL MAP WAS PROVIDED BY BOURBON & BOOTS THROUGH MY PARTNERSHIP WITH ARKANSAS WOMEN BLOGGERS. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

Some of my favorite moments growing are centered around my family’s love of travel. Every summer we would make the 3-day drive from Lubbock, TX to the Bay Area in California to see my grandparents and cousins, which also gave my parents really great opportunity to take different routes and therefore show us a new part of the country we’d never seen before. My sister and I had those organizers that you could secure around the driver’s seat and front passenger seat (like this one, but my mom made ours so they were infinitely cooler), and we took such joy and pride in selecting just the right books and toys and cassette tapes (YES I SAID CASSETTE TAPES…for the love, I’m getting old…) to keep us occupied all of the hours we would spend in the car.

 

I don’t know if you guys have ever experienced an explanation of my obsessive organization, mostly because I’ve loosened up quite a bit in my later years here. But at that time I quite literally drew maps and color-coordinated lists to show exactly what I could pack in each little pocket. It was borderline OCD, but I indulged nonetheless. And then you know what? My perfectly curated little organizer of things would keep me busy for approximately 5 hours, at which point I would have about 25 more hours of driving to find things to do.

 

Oh my soul.

 

All of the road trips we took created a strand of gypsy soul in my little heart, and every time ever since that I’ve thought of traveling I always wonder how long it would take to drive. I imagine all of the things I could see, the stops we could make, the country that would spread wide before us, expectant and ready for exploration. I love air travel as well, but I really hope that we get a chance to instill in our children a love for traveling the open road. I believe there is so much to be learned from slowing down and really taking this country, this world, in. With all of our technology and awesome things I feel like real exploration can get lost in the shuffle – and I want to preserve our childrens’ spirit of curiosity and wonder.

 

When I was asked to review an item from Bourbon & Boots (which, y’all, I am so obsessed with this site – I got almost every single Christmas gift for Nate from there!) I jumped at the chance and picked this gorgeous Traveler’s Map of America (by Oliver Jeffers). I wanted to make it clear where we’ve been and where we have yet to go, to really instill an adventurous spirit in our home. I wanted to hang this map up and listen and plan with our children what our next place will be. I want to have a beautiful reminder of just how small we are and how big and bold and gorgeous this country (and this earth) of ours really is.

 

I want my kids to always be asking and exploring where we’ll go next. And while I want our house to be home base – a place of comfort and rest and hospitality – I can’t wait to show them this incredible place that we live.

 

This weekend as we’re moving I’ll be dreaming of the perfect place to hang this beauty in our new home. It’s so gorgeous that I’d never dream of stuffing it into an empty room upstairs or hiding it behind anything, and I believe that constant interaction with it will grow our sense of adventure as well. Here’s to seeing the rest of the country together!

 

Bourbon & Boots has generously offered 5% off of any item from their site. Just use the code blogheathersdish14 at checkout!