Family Travels
This is a road trip summer for me. It began with a trip to southern Illinois to see a cousin that I saw almost 60 years ago. It was great to meet her as adults, and to spend valuable time with her and the family. That connection is important to me and it was worth the time - every mile of driving! Got to travel half way with a friend to meet her friend and spend the night as well. If you know me at all, you know I am an observer and love to meet people - I'm one of those people who never "met a stranger".
Next trip was with my lifelong friends to a place where people live all of their lives - Pennsylvania Dutch country. We missed one of us terribly, but hope to catch up with her for next year's journey. Lifelong friends are truly your family of choice. Also fun and full of laughing! Lucky enough to rent a farmhouse. Unlike slumber parties of old, there is no sleeping in bags on the floor - we each had our own rooms, in comfy beds! A little wine, a little cider...pigs in the backyard and cows too. Topped off with a buggy ride and shopping.
This past weekend, the trip was to cousins in North Carolina near the shore in Wilmington. Went with Dad, my sister and her son. That is a long ride, let me tell you. 12 hours with the quickie stops we made - got there in a day. My sister is NOT a road trip lover so she drove most of it which kept her from too much bitching. Yes, my alarm did not go off, so they had to wake me when they came to pick me up, and I didn't take my EZ pass...running bit for the whole trip.
Dad was in heaven, I think, with his 2 girls and a grandson all stuck in the car with him. He was good, though...no paper map on the way down, slept a bit of the way. The nephew is a good traveler, too. I've come to the conclusion that men just can't hold their pee, though. Or perhaps they don't think that what goes in must come out. My sister likes to pack food and drinks, and eat on the way. I'm a stop and get some food and chill for a little while road tripper. Adapting is a skill of mine, so adapt I did. The nephew just goes with the flow, as did Dad.
Best behavior was the rule of the road, thankfully. While a long ass ride, it was nice to be with them and see the sights along the way. Dad, of course, needed to put his 2 cents in about the route (we used Waze and Maps both) - he did the trip for many years, but there are new highway route numbers and Waze takes you out of the traffic mix so he questioned every detour we used. Didn't matter, though, cause he didn't drive at all - actually made him sit in the back seat!
Our cousin and her family are just great folks to chill with - although a painful beach incident (burned bottom of the feet at Carolina Beach-not mine) threatened to sideline us, it wasn't as bad as originally thought. We ate together, walked together, laughed together, drank together for 4 days. Enjoyed each others' company, teased my Dad unmercifully, shared scary times and awful times in the past, missed those unable to be there because of timing, and those unable to be there ever again.
Plans were suggested for the next get together to be at one of those big ass houses on a beach...so hoping to get the Illinois group in for that one.
On the way back, Dad got a paper map in VA...yes, he got told to put the fucking map AWAY. Learned a new way to go around the CBE at rush hour - very cool! Realized I still have my memory...also very cool. Us children of dementia talk about that often.
Family and friends are what we have, after all is said and done. Even with all of the challenges in the world, and the uncertainty in our lives, finding our tribe, be it of blood or choice, makes it all bearable. Even if that tribe isn't always on the same page, or thinks the same way, our values do win out when we need them to, thankfully.
Next trip was with my lifelong friends to a place where people live all of their lives - Pennsylvania Dutch country. We missed one of us terribly, but hope to catch up with her for next year's journey. Lifelong friends are truly your family of choice. Also fun and full of laughing! Lucky enough to rent a farmhouse. Unlike slumber parties of old, there is no sleeping in bags on the floor - we each had our own rooms, in comfy beds! A little wine, a little cider...pigs in the backyard and cows too. Topped off with a buggy ride and shopping.
This past weekend, the trip was to cousins in North Carolina near the shore in Wilmington. Went with Dad, my sister and her son. That is a long ride, let me tell you. 12 hours with the quickie stops we made - got there in a day. My sister is NOT a road trip lover so she drove most of it which kept her from too much bitching. Yes, my alarm did not go off, so they had to wake me when they came to pick me up, and I didn't take my EZ pass...running bit for the whole trip.
Dad was in heaven, I think, with his 2 girls and a grandson all stuck in the car with him. He was good, though...no paper map on the way down, slept a bit of the way. The nephew is a good traveler, too. I've come to the conclusion that men just can't hold their pee, though. Or perhaps they don't think that what goes in must come out. My sister likes to pack food and drinks, and eat on the way. I'm a stop and get some food and chill for a little while road tripper. Adapting is a skill of mine, so adapt I did. The nephew just goes with the flow, as did Dad.
Best behavior was the rule of the road, thankfully. While a long ass ride, it was nice to be with them and see the sights along the way. Dad, of course, needed to put his 2 cents in about the route (we used Waze and Maps both) - he did the trip for many years, but there are new highway route numbers and Waze takes you out of the traffic mix so he questioned every detour we used. Didn't matter, though, cause he didn't drive at all - actually made him sit in the back seat!
Our cousin and her family are just great folks to chill with - although a painful beach incident (burned bottom of the feet at Carolina Beach-not mine) threatened to sideline us, it wasn't as bad as originally thought. We ate together, walked together, laughed together, drank together for 4 days. Enjoyed each others' company, teased my Dad unmercifully, shared scary times and awful times in the past, missed those unable to be there because of timing, and those unable to be there ever again.
Plans were suggested for the next get together to be at one of those big ass houses on a beach...so hoping to get the Illinois group in for that one.
On the way back, Dad got a paper map in VA...yes, he got told to put the fucking map AWAY. Learned a new way to go around the CBE at rush hour - very cool! Realized I still have my memory...also very cool. Us children of dementia talk about that often.
Family and friends are what we have, after all is said and done. Even with all of the challenges in the world, and the uncertainty in our lives, finding our tribe, be it of blood or choice, makes it all bearable. Even if that tribe isn't always on the same page, or thinks the same way, our values do win out when we need them to, thankfully.
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