Debbie and I have been discussing going on a road trip for years–probably 4 or more. But we’ve always discovered problems that have kept us from doing so–our crazy schedules, her unreliable car, Benny (my old car) going on the fritz, my dad and hers feeling uncomfortable with just the girls traveling alone. So we haven’t gone.
But tomorrow morning, that’s all going to change. My Cousin Matt is graduating from high school in Illinois this weekend, and I decided to go up for it since I have Memorial Day off and have a few vacation days at work. I invited Debbie to come with me–and it just so happens that she was able to arrange to make it too. So we’re finally going on a road trip.
We’ll be taking Jack (my car, short for Clive Staples) and caravanning with my cousin Joe (Matt’s brother), my brother Dan, and Joe’s girlfriend Dana in my Aunt Patty’s van. We’ll drop my sister Anna off in Omaha at the airport for her flight into San Antonio for the national conference of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (and to spend time with her college roommate Emily). Then we’ll be on the road. We should get up in time for Matt’s little brother Aaron’s 8th grade graduation Thursday evening.
Matt’s graduation is on Saturday, and we plan on spending Saturday and Sunday with the family. Joe, Dan, and Dana will return to Lincoln on Sunday–and Debbie and I will stick around until Tuesday. We’ll head into Chicago on Friday or Monday or both. It just so happened that Debbie’s work really needed her on Wednesday–and my work offered to pay for me to get some ServeSafe training on Wednesday–so it works well for both of us to return on Tuesday.
It’ll be fun–a memory making trip, a chance to catch up, a chance to make good on old dreams, and a chance to cross another item off my list of things to do before I die. I’ll return home and type “DA: May 27, 2008” behind “Take road trip” in my “Goals” file. Date Accomplished. One of my favorite things to type. The day when talk became reality and dreams came true. And that day–well, it all starts tomorrow.