One Mama's Electric Solo Journey - in My Dreams?

So last night in my dreams I appeared on the video podcast with the highest viewership in the world, laughing and crying about the (mis)adventures of my Plugged IN, Charged UP! mostly solo EV roadtrip. You can watch a tidbit of my subconscious glory in real-time - and guess what - spoilers - I'm now the unofficial EV evangelist of 31 states: Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North & South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, and EV ground zero California!

That's right - I've become THAT unhinged woman at rest stops who corners strangers and whispers urgently: "Have you heard the good news about our Lord and Savior, Electric Vehicles?" (Jesus has popped up on dozens of billboards along this route as well.)

So many of us are worried about climate change, and because we are not eco-perfect (I literally drove gas guzzlers for DECADES - and my daughter lovingly reminded me I used to fly all over the planet like a frequent flyer mile hoarder!), sometimes we feel we can't talk about it. Those days are SO OVER. And sometimes it feels way out of our comfort zones to even bring the issue up - like announcing you're driving solo across America in a Tesla when your adult kids must think you've lost your mind because they just don't communicate at all! (Narrator: They rarely do.)

But we all want a better planet for our kids and the next generation - so we need to talk about it. Here's the wisdom that kept me going: We are all imperfect sheroes in 2025. Our imperfect actions and choices do not have to stand in the way of our next better choices. I'm not letting my unaware imperfect choices stand in the way of my "WOKE" choices. Replacing gas guzzlers with EV's is a next better choice. Period. Full stop. End of guilt trip.

In my podcast dream, we chimed up about the value of climate coaching at this moment of terrifying transition from the fossil fueled industrial insurance complex. (Say that three times fast after a charging station potty stop!) Driving electric across 13,444 miles so far feels like - like rebellion wrapped in silent acceleration and seasoned with only occasional panic (Think will i make it through west Texas, Northern Arizona, and southern New Mexico!

Here's the thing, mamas: I drove 13,444 miles MOSTLY SOLO in my Tesla Model 3 on the ultimate roadtrip, and honestly? It was BRILLIANT. Did I occasionally have range anxiety that rivaled empty-nest syndrome? Absolutely. Did I name my car "Rouge - Wrecked for Now" because she's desperately hoping for a rapid recovery from Dear Deer Dawn's collision at the completion of this epic EV quest? You bet! But did I feel like an absolute superhero silently gliding past gas stations like a smug dementor in Harry Potter movie while watching prices that made me weep with relief I'd gone electric? OH YES I DID.

Rouge purrs like a contented cat, has more acceleration than my sprint to answer my adult kids' emergency calls (spoiler: they just want $), and the road trip experience? Chef's kiss. I fit an ENTIRE cross-country adventure in there 2.75 times - so far, including the mental space to actually THINK without the rumble of an engine, pondering life's big questions like "where to go next" and "which charging station has the fastest reboot."

The morning phone call I got today almost made me drive off the road - some exuberant first-time Tesla owner speaking SO FAST about joining the EV revolution that I had to beg him to email me the facts because I couldn't keep up. That's EIGHT EVs bought since September 3rd when I started this crazy roadtrip. THREE just this morning - one for him, his sister, and his wife - converted! I'm basically running an accidental electric vehicle cult at this point, and honestly? I'm here for it. All in, Mamas!

So if you fancy a test drive and a climate conversation with your neighbors, friends, or that judgey book club crew who still thinks you're crazy, why not plug in and charge up?! As I realized somewhere around mile 8,000 while having what can only be described as a spiritual experience at a WAWA's charging station: "Where there is charging, there is hope. And there is always charging... eventually."

The best part? NO MORE GAS STATION STOPS with those horrifically overpriced prewrapped plastic everything snacks you don't need and regret immediately. Just plug in at home, at the grocery store, wherever. It's like phone charging but for adults who've replaced worrying about teenagers with worrying about the planet. Same anxiety, better cause!

Here's the truth about anxiety and guilt over lifestyle choices - it's been a massive barrier that fossil fuel companies have EXPLOITED like a video game cheat code. They invented the concept of the personal carbon footprint to make us feel powerless and hypocritical! It does not matter when the awakening comes - when it hits, choose wisely! But guess what? You can absolutely be a climate model and occasionally grab coffee in a disposable cup. The exhausted but determined mother who somehow, despite all her spinning plates, acts to protect what she loves? That's ALL of us.

We're dismantling the myth of the "perfect" climate-aware and activated mama because the messenger is just as important as the message, and we need more trusted, authentic voices talking about this polycrisis: planet AND peace at the same time. Not perfect people - REAL people who are figuring it out as we go!

Plugged IN Roadtrip is emerging through instinct, experimentation and collaboration. We're forming as a small, scrappy volunteer group inspired by positive climate solutions, propelled by the belief that Mothers too had to step up for Mother Earth. Early on, we recognized the importance of showing up in a way that was welcoming, family-friendly and peaceful. Many mothers wanted to do something but felt intimidated by more strident ethics. This is not the time to be perfect. This is the time to drive demand for gas guzzlers DOWN.

The Million Mile Mothers method? Cultivate hope and eye-catching creativity through conversation, standing up, and modeling the change we want to see (also: charging station small talk has become my superpower). Leaning into mothers' and fathers' voices to find common ground - because parents GET IT. We're already experts at sacrificing for the future! Collaboration radically expands our impact: 1 + 1 = 8 EV's so far, and counting! Math has never been this satisfying!

This is MOTHER POWER in action, mamas! We demand an end to fossil fuel financing that's fueling a public health crisis making our kids sick and threatening their futures. No new oil/gas exploration or coal-fired power stations - even if they claim to power up our charging stations. Our best insurance? Keep fossil fuels in the ground - because apparently insurance companies will stop insuring new coal projects but keep happily underwriting oil and gas expansion like they're hedging bets at a casino where the house always loses and somehow WE'RE still paying the tab!

We drive demand, Mamas-and Papas. We model the transition collaboratively. One converted driver at a time, one awkward charging station conversation at a time, one slightly unhinged marathon of a roadtrip at a time.

One brilliant mother first follower wants to join the quest next Mother's Day. Her motto? "Drive On, EV!" She literally named her electric vehicle EV, proving that relating on a first-name basis with your mode of transportation is a wise investment in relational security. I love her already. We should all name our cars. It's weirdly therapeutic.

Huge thanks to Harriet Shugarman for presenting OKC climate principles to the Rotary Club of International Peace - moms modeling the mobility transition from gas to electric, one roadtrip at a time! Because if mothers can push entire humans out of their bodies, we can definitely push society toward electric vehicles.

To get involved in #PluggedINChargedUPNotGoinBack, take a photo of your EV adventure, upload it to social media tagging @KatHaber using the hashtag #MillionMileMothersDrive4Earth.

On your marks, get set...DRIVE!

P.S. Rouge says, "Hi!" She's still wrecked but hopeful. Aren't we all?