Momma Courageous

I think my 24-hour, "wing and a prayer" road trip to North Carolina should earn me at least 35 cool mom points.

I have no clue what I was "smoking" when I loaded my four kids (three teens and a 10 year old) in my 1998 Camrymobile early Friday morning for a spur of the moment road trip, except an insatiable desire for my brood  to go beyond the virtual tours, glossy brochures, and tired information sessions, and experience Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill first hand.

I knew the six hour trip would be an adventure, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would yield such productive fruit.

Fortunately, the drive from Atlanta to NC is an easy one -- no turns, no hassles, just pure open road up I-85. The kids were troopers; they slept a great deal of the way and only argued FIVE or SIX times.  My oldest daughter said it was the best sleep she's had in weeks, and I had time to listen to some great selections on the Gotta Have Gospel #7 2-CD collection, and daydream without interruption. Simply heaven on wheels.
I was sitting pretty for at least 500 miles, but all hell broke loose when I stopped in Highpoint, North Carolina -- the furniture capitol of the U.S.A. and the birthplace of "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino. My kids couldn't  give a flip about handcrafted furniture and the city's small town appeal. They begged me to drive pass Biscuitville, get back on the highway, and forget about the furniture all together.
Truth is, I wasn't interested in any of those things. I really wanted to take a sneak peak at Highpoint University. Highpoint  who? Exactly. That's what I thought....until I entered the pearly gates of North Carolina's best kept secret. Their Web site says it best, "Seeing is Believing." 

We couldn't believe our eyes. Highpoint boasts impressive waterfalls, state-of-the-art academic facilities,  trollies, a brand new 90,000 square foot student activity and fitness center complete with outdoor pool and perky lounge chairs, and 150,00 acres of manicured grounds. Who knew that HP was recently voted #1Among z'Up-And-Coming Schools" In U.S. News & World Report. Well, it only took my family 10 minutes to see why.

I know teenagers are the most capricious creatures on the planet, but even I was amazed at how quickly my kids changed their tune.  My once disgruntled motley crew who begged me not to make that right turn into HP, was suddenly singing the school's praises. Even the few who had already made staunch commitments to attend my alma mater, suddenly changed allegiances, called my old school a "dump," and pledged to apply to Highpoint.  TRADERS! All I can say is, "what a difference a college visit makes."

Next stop,  Durham.

My coworker is from Durham, and he had already given me the inside scoop on the "Bull City," "The City of Medicine," or as others affectionately call it, the "Brooklyn of the South." After our off road trip to High Point, we didn't really have much time to spare, so we checked into our modest motel on Hwy 55, freshened up (if you have teenage girls, you know that "freshening up" has taken on a whole new meaning), and climbed back in the car about 2 hours later.

Of course I planned to make it to Duke in time for the 2 p.m. information session and the 3 p.m. walking tour, but we're all familiar with what happens to the best laid plans of mice and men! We actually sauntered onto Duke's campus around 7 p.m. So much for tours, eh?

Well, I should gain another 20 mom points for having impeccable timing. We arrived on campus just in time for the Blue Devil's Countdown to Craziness, the kickoff of the men's basketball season. I couldn't believe it.The kids and I would get a chance to see the Cameron Crazies in action!

I Need Tickets!

My son was so impressed with my street smarts. Stealthily, I approached a woman holding an "I Need Tickets" sign. He is totally oblivious to the life and tactics of professional scalpers, so he was totally confused when I pulled off the side of the road to have a word with my friend; but my subsequent conversation almost made me a hero in his eyes:

"I need 5 tickets," I asked
"What do you want to pay for them?" she said gruffly.
"Sixty bucks."
"Drive down a bit and see the lady with the white coat."

Gotcha. To the lady with the white coat it is, but first I had to have a conversation with the kids who really thought I was dumb enough to take the road trip with no money.

"Hey kids, do you really want to spend $20 per ticket for this game (the face value amount?)

"No, mommy, that's not necessary. We can spend that money on something else"

I love my frugal kids! We proceeded to talk to the woman in the white coat. Fortunately for me, she didn't have a block of five seats, and more than likely she would've turned her nose up at my $60 for 5 ticket offer. I say fortunately, because only God knew the blessing that was in store for us.

I at least wanted to say I "visited" Duke so my daughter, who was nominated to be a Robertson Scholar , a dual program between Duke and UNC Chapel Hill, could intelligently decide which campus she would choose as her "main" choice. I drove slowly through the campus, remarked about the beautiful architecture, zealous supporters, and manicured lawns, but she wasn't impressed.

It took her about 10 minutes to decide, based on the trees, of all things, that she didn't really care for Duke! Can you imagine? She said it seemed too stuffy and suffocating. Keep in mind, this is solely based upon the Gothic architecture and tree-lined streets.

Tarhills Here We Come

So we made our way down the road to UNC. Again, impeccable timing. The school was a buzz with activity. The 2009-10 Carolina Basketball season tip-off  hosted by ESPEN's Stuart Scott was taking place in the Dean Dome, and it was absolutely FREE!  I can't explain how exciting it was to witness the new freshman class in action. So what if we were forced to sit in the nose bleed seats ...we were just thankful to be in the place because according to Stuart, there were an estimated 18,000 Tarhill fans in the  Dean Dome that night.



The skits, dances, historical footage, and basketball scrimmages were clearly the highlight of our visit. I think it gave us a glimpse, albeit a small one, of what life at UNC might be. I can envision another national champion ship title in the school's future. How could you lose with the Twin Towers and two other players who at almost 7 feet tall!

After a few hours in Blue Heaven, we made our way through the crowds, climbed back in the Camrymobile, and drove up and down
Franklin Street to do a little people watching -- the kids' favorite pastime.
I'm so glad we just happend to pass by the school of Global Public Health in the process because it was then that my 17 year old had an epiphiny -- global health, that's what she wants to focus on in school! Yea. Progress in the midst of fun -- my kind of road trip.