Paying It Forward On Our Road Trip

Recently, we completed our Bigger Than Texas Road Trip, which encompassed over 4600 miles and seven states.  Beyond all the amazing sites we saw and experiences we had, we had a goal on our 21 day trip - We wanted to spread the Texas Love.  Ok, what?

I wanted to teach my children the importance of giving back, helping others, and simply being nice to strangers during our travels.   More importantly, I needed my 12 & 10 year old to stop being so wrapped in in their own little world and start noticing others and the simple things they can do to improve the world around them.  

After we talked about it as a family, and brainstormed our ideas (see our big list of ideas here), it was very easy to implement.  All it took was a simple nudge at the beginning, but soon my children were noticing things left and right to do to make a difference.

Things like picking up trash - From the bottom of the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico to standing in line at Disneyland to the river beds of the Lower Animas River in Durango, CO - these kids became naturals at scooping up stray trash and finding a bin to put it in. Without Momma asking.....

One of the easiest ways to give back on a vacation is to simply Take pictures for Others - When it came to some of the amazing sites we saw, such as the Grand Canyon, mom or dad was always left out of the picture, so when ever it was possible, we offered.  Some people declined (mostly due to a language barrier) but most jumped at the chance.  And the cool thing was, they all offered to take our picture in exchange.  Even cooler, we noticed a family we had help out at one scenic view at the Grand Canyon, offer to help another family at a different point.  It was an awesome example of Paying It Forward.  It's a simple gesture that we even experienced ourselves through out the whole trip. - how else would we have been able to get this iconic picture?

We looked for opportunities to Give to Others.   When we had an extra pass to ride the Sandia Peak Tramway in New Mexico, we found a family with lots of children to give it to.  And when we had a few extra Fast Passes at Disneyland, we found a service member to give them to.  Both were surprised at our gesture - exactly the response we had hoped for. 

We looked for fun ways to give back too.  Doing laundry on the road was difficult.  It was time consuming and expensive.  We had purchased too much laundry detergent, so we thought it would be nice to leave it behind for the next weary traveler.  And then my daughter came up with the idea to leave our stack of extra quarters behind too! 

My 10 year old wants to serve his country one day and he really looks up to those that do.  Every time we see a service member or Veteran, we try to make it a point of thanking them for their service.  We visit SeaWorld San Antonio often, and because it is close to a few military installations, we have ample opportunity to thank those in uniform every time we visit.  On this trip, I finally observed my son get out of his comfort zone, walk up to those he saw in uniform and thank them for their service.  

At the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, several of the volunteers are Veterans and we were able to thank them.  But the coolest moment happened at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, CA. My son had the opportunity to hear from a former B-17 ball turret gunner who flew 30 missions in WWII before being hit by flak.  He was in awe of his stories, asking him several questions.  And afterwards went up to him to shake his hand and thank him for his service to our country.  

We wanted to find a place to leave a big tip for our waitress on our travels.  We had discussed this before leaving on the trip that we wanted it to be given to a waitress/waiter who we really felt needed their day to be brightened.  Waiting tables is such a tough job (I did it for many years, so I have a soft spot in my heart for the hard work.) - if we could, we would have left big tips all across the Southwest! As it happened, we left one for a waitress in a little diner we happened into around 8 pm one night in Albuquerque, NM.  She wasn't overly friendly, in fact she looked quite distracted, like her mind was elsewhere.  The meal was nothing special - honestly, can't even remember the name of the restaurant.  But something told me she was the one.  

So we left her a big tip and then left. We didn't wait around to see her reaction or get a "thank you." I explained to the children that we do good deeds because people deserve them and not because we want to see the reaction.  Sometimes, we just knowing in our hearts that we did something nice was all the reward we needed. 

But we were rewarded ten-fold on our trip.  We smiled at everyone we came in contact with and met some amazing people who truly enriched our experience.  

We met Bob, a former high school biology teacher who opened the American International Rattlesnake Museum in Albuquerque, NM to help teach people more about rattlesnakes.  He showed us a big rattler who was shedding and gave us some "behind the scenes" information about the museum.

While we were purchasing our tickets to get into the San Diego Zoo, my son struck up a conversation with the agent who had lots of Star Wars memorabilia.  She went on to tell us that her grandmother did still photography for the first 3 movies - so fascinating!!  And she then conveniently found a "extra" 50% coupon for admission.  Thank you Miss Star Wars!

Sometimes we experienced good luck without ever speaking to a soul.  My kids will be talking about how we were able to ride Space Mountain TWICE in a row without getting out of the car.  "Want to go again?" the Cast Member asked us - just a little bit of Disney Magic granted to us that day.

The coolest moment happened to us after a long day in San Diego.  I was looking for a place to eat dinner and made my husband drive us over to Pacific Beach in search of this particular restaurant I was dying to go to.  Turns out, it wasn't the same place and wasn't very good.  But my tired and weary crew  rallied anyway and after we ate, we took a quick walk down the beach.  

Finding the only gift shop on the beach, I wanted to get some souvenirs.  While we were making our purchases, the owner noticed my son's USS Midway hat and asked us if we enjoyed the carrier. We politely said yes and he mentioned his father was the Commanding Officer of the USS Lexington.  We made small talk and he went on to tell us all about his father, Eugene McDaniel, who was also a POW in Vietnam for over 7 years.  It was an amazing conversation that all of us were enthralled to hear.  And here we were in the middle of a little gift shop in a town we didn't really mean to go to - It was an experience we were meant to have.  And it was incredible. We were completely paid forward. 

When we started planning our "Bigger Than Texas Road Trip", it was all about what we would receive out of a trip of this magnitude.  Setting our sites on Paying It Forward on the trip rewarded us more than  we had ever hope.  And it made up realize the importance of having a mindset of doing for others rather than it be all about what's in it for me. It's a life lesson that I hope my children will maintain.

You don't have to Pay It Forward in special circumstances, like a vacation.  Doing good deeds, looking for opportunities to help and doing the right thing when people are not watching you are goals we all want our children to have.  And they can be done every day. 

It was natural to work with State Farm Insurance on our Road Trip.  It's their theme of "Like a Good Neighbor" that went hand-in-hand with teaching my children to be a "good neighbor", even on vacation.  For them, being a good neighbor is about good customer service.  But it is so much more than than - it's a philosophy we all can learn from.

I hope you are inspired to be more of a good neighbor at home and when you are traveling.  My children were very inspired and looked for opportunities every step of the way.  Our goal is to continue that excitement for doing for others now that we are home.

I am working with State Farm Insurance this summer in a series of sponsored posts.  All opinions are strictly my own and not endorsed. 

Pay It Forward on the Road

Traveling presents so many opportunities for learning....especially with children.  While they in a completely new environment, learning new cultures and geography, they are also presented with the chance to expand their horizons.

This summer, while on our Bigger Than Texas Road Trip, I want my children to learn about the areas they are visiting.  That's easy.  But I also want them to grow within, making an impact and leaving a positive impression where ever they go. Hmm, that may take a bit more work.

So before we left on our trip, I sat down with my older two (12 & 10) and discussed the concept of "paying it forward" on our upcoming trip.  We have served in our community through scouts, church, and even spent a whole day over the Christmas break "spreading joy" with only $10 (we impacted over 43 people that day!).

It is easy and rewarding to give back in your own community, where you are comfortable with your own surroundings. But serving other while on vacation?  That was a new concept for my kids.  And that is why discussing it ahead of time and brain-storming ideas helped them realize that it really doesn't take a lot of effort to make a difference in someone's life.

My favorite idea that we came up with is to simply "be happy".  The impact of a smile and pleasant conversation to a stranger is immeasurable.  It's the core principle behind paying it forward.  Think about how you feel when someone flashes you a genuine smile - makes you want to smile back, doesn't it?

So here are a few ideas my children came up with of how we are going to make a difference while on the road this summer:

Ideas to Pay It Forward - Road Tripping Style

• Offer to take photos for other people
• Hold the door open for someone
• Pick up trash when you see it
• Pay a compliment to someone
• Write a great review on Yelp! of a restaurant or attraction we really enjoyed
• Leave a really BIG tip in a really SMALL town diner
• Let someone cut in line in front of you at Disneyland
• Give up your parking space to someone else
• Stop and offer to help someone with car trouble
• Give someone else your ride tickets/ fastpasses 
• Pay for someone else’s parking, entry fee, toll, coffee, etc.
• Try to eat and shop at locally-owned businesses 
• Write a handwritten thank you card to someone at a place you visited
• Leave your book you finished in a coffee shop with a note to "read it forward"
• If there’s an accident or potential hazard on the road, report it
• If you arrive at an intersection at the same time as someone else, let them go first
• Wave a Thank You to someone who does something nice for you
• Return a stray shopping cart to the parking lot spot

If you have a few hours and the time to plan

• Donate food or clothing to a local shelter
• Volunteer at a shelter 
• Plant a tree
• Donate pet food or towels to a local animal shelter
• Go to Serve.gov to find serving opportunities in the areas you will be in

I have these grandiose visions of the ripple effect of us paying it forward - how each little kind deed will inspire the recipient to do something good for someone else and so on and so on.  But I need to be realistic.  Honestly, if we impact just one person and that makes a small difference in the day they are having, awesome.  I think it is just as important to teach my children to be kind and giving, no matter where they are. 

I am excited to be working with State Farm Insurance this summer while on our road trip.  It's their theme of "Like a Good Neighbor" that went hand-in-hand with teaching my children to be a "good neighbor", even on vacation.  For them, being a good neighbor is about good customer service.  But it is so much more than than - it's a philosophy we all can learn from.  

I hope you are inspired to be more of a good neighbor at home and when you are traveling - take some of these ideas with you the next time you go on vacation and see the impact paying it forward can make. 

I am working with State Farm Insurance this summer in a series of sponsored posts.  All opinions are strictly my own and not endorsed. 

Who Am I? And Why Do I Blog?

Hi! I don't know if we have officially met.  I'm Becca and I like to talk.  Specifically, I love to tell you (my readers) all about things I love.  A lot of which happens to be fun, family activities, amazing restaurants, and great ideas, products, or deals that you just can't live without.

And that is where the concept of R We There Yet Mom? was born. As a recent (2008) transplant to the Austin, Texas area, my family discovered many fun & unique things.  So many cool things, that my friends were getting tired of hearing about it.  I began to write about places we would go on my family blog and discovered how much I enjoyed sharing with everyone our experiences.  After getting repeatedly asked for ideas of "what to do with my kids this weekend", I decided it was time to share those fun ideas with YOU.  Thus, R We There Yet Mom? was created.

Over the past year, my family has discovered new places here in Austin like The Cathedral of Junk and Laguna Gloria. We have been blessed to experiencing such fun places like SeaWorld in San Antonio or Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels.  We have stayed in some really fun places like the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines or the Kid's Fantasy Suite at the Omni Houston. I have LOVED telling you about each & everyone of the fun things that we have done.  And I have been incredibly blessed by the outpouring of support that my blog readers and Facebook Family has given us.

I never in a million years would have seen myself as a writer.  I went to school and received a BA in Biology and went on to a very successful sales career.  But my path changed and here I am.  I'm not good.  I'll never write a best-seller (unless it's a really great book on fun things to do in Texas!) but I absolutely love what I am doing now.  When someone asks me my "profession", I proudly tell them I am a freelance travel writer with my own site.  Oh yes, I actually write for other websites and get paid to do so.  Fun, huh?

Word of Mouth has become the norm in advertising now.  With the social media explosion, it is easier to reach 10,000 in one single blog post/facebook post/tweet/Instagram photo/etc. than it is to place an ad in a magazine.  And marketers are taking notice how influential bloggers have become. Companies are looking for unique ways to partner with bloggers in campaigns ranging from photo books to breakfast cereal to cell phones.

I have been approached to write about all sorts of things - eyeglasses, car insurance, skin care, and dog food are just a few examples.  I have turned nearly all of them down as they did not had a good "fit" with R We There Yet Mom? and I respect the time you give me to read my blog.  I mean, how can I tell you how awesome this children's museum is and follow it up with a post on lice prevention shampoo?

There is a way for Companies & Bloggers to work together beautifully.  BlogFrog has a completely different mindset on partnering with bloggers. It's called Influencer Marketing and it involves targeting a unique audience that cares about a product in a way that is authentic & transparent.  As readers (and consumers), we'd rather hear about something from someone we like and trust and in return have the chance to give our opinions as well.....carrying on a conversation of sorts.

BlogFrog does this so well.  Advertising is not 'in-your-face'.  It's not 'shouted' out to a non-specific audience.  It is incorporated into blogs seamlessly.   It is genuine. BlogFrog simply brings you sponsored conversations with brands you love.

Recently, I was invited to become a member of BlogFrog's Influencer Circle. I was thrilled as I think what BlogFrog is doing to partner with bloggers is unique and I wanted to be a part of it. It doesn't mean you will be inundated with sponsored posts here on R We There Yet Mom?, but it doesn't mean you might not encounter one either.  Just know that I will only write meaningful content on brands I love and want to share with you.  Which is honestly getting right back to the core reason I started this blog - to share!

As a part of the BlogFrog Influencer Circle, I have the chance to create meaningful, authentic content for brands I love.  If you’re a blogger interested in new opportunities, join BlogFrog’s Influencer Circle and check out some of the top brands already working with BlogFrog.

If you’re a brand looking to work with online influencers, learn more about BlogFrog’s Brand Solutions here.

Now, I’m curious. What do you love most about blogs and blogging?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of BlogFrog. The opinions and text are all mine.