Virtual Road Trip

We were driving through New Mexico on a family road trip.

Well, 3/6 of the family was road-tripping. My two eldest were at home, minding the pets and working for The Man. My third-born is spending a year in Vietnam, so yeah, she was not in the car with us.

But then again, she was closer than you might expect. Because Little Miss Vietnam Girl likes to Facetime with her mummy, so as we were cruising along through the Land of Enchantment, she was right there with us, enjoying the scenery and chatting away.

Then it was time for our mid-morning snack. We pulled into a Starbucks, and she went weak with desire for her favorite American drink, a carmel frappucino with no whip. 

"Not a problem," I said. "I can't exactly send it to you, but I'll order one and drink it on your behalf. "

Now I was on a mission to document the entire drive-thru experience for my girl. I held the phone up to the window, so she could watch her beloved beverage coming across the counter. The Starbucks employee was a little surprised to see a camera apparently filming the transaction, so I explained that we were beaming this sequence of events straight over to Vietnam. She rolled with that pretty well.

The drink arrived. I panned around it from all angles, giving her plenty of time to ooh and ahh at its beauty, and took a few still shots for good measure. I quickly edited and WhatsApped the best one over to her for future reference.

We chronicled the life and times of our cookie just as thoroughly. 

And as we continued on our way, road-tripping and coffee-sipping and talking about life on both sides of the planet, I marveled at what an extraordinary thing it is to live in these digital times.

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To learn more about my travels this summer, read:

Gateway To Adventure

Two Opposing Landscapes

Along Interstate 80

On A Monday Morning In Wyoming

On The Hilltop

Number 45: Texas

Patiently Waiting

Poolside Haiku

#yolo

West Texas Thunderstorm

Cheers To Tucson

Home Through The Trees