What a whirlwind of
activity! I hope my readers don’t do
this to themselves. The past few weeks have been extremely busy as we have been
trying to complete the massive lists we created in preparation for our highly
anticipated trip to Utah. While probably
not true, it seems that everything we have been putting off for the past five
years found a home on these lists. The
trip has been planned for some time but suddenly you realize it is like –
tomorrow. So, finally (or already) today
we were off. We didn’t leave the
driveway until 9:15 this morning but in that magic moment the mayhem of preparation
left us as we headed west.
Lily (our van) was loaded to the
gunnels even though it is just the two of us.
That’s the beauty of traveling by car – you can pretty much take what
you want without having to be overly discerning about the way you pack. It was also great to not be required to catch
a bus to O’Hare or similar departure point at 0 Dark Thirty in the
morning. I didn’t have to remove my
shoes and belt nor was I patted down.
Traffic was decent all day and we
cruised along very nicely. Lily is
equipped with Sirius Satellite Radio which is very nice for a trip of this
sort. My play lists today were 60’s on Six,
Coffee House, Broadway, Seriously Sinatra, and 40’s Junction. Contrary to the opinion of some, I was not
alive during the 40’s but I am a student of World War II history and the
culture of the times. We have several books on CD from the library but some
members of the travel group spent most of the day sleeping so we won’t break
those out until tomorrow.
I generally enjoy driving and
watching our country unfold as we head west.
It is easy for me to get caught up in my thoughts and reflections so the
time goes by quite quickly for me.
Often, songs on the radio send my thoughts swirling into other times and
places and I become quite nostalgic.
Later next week, we will be joining most of my side of the family in
Salt Lake City for the wedding of a nephew.
Thus, my mind spent considerable time thinking about my three
siblings. I am the youngest of four and
I am closing in on my seventh decade.
Thus, our group activities play out differently than they did when we
started these gatherings not long after my father’s promotion to Glory back in
1997. We Cruzan siblings do not see each
other all that often so it will be good to reconnect. Also while driving, my
mind produces writing ideas. Of course, these are usually great while driving
but the trick is to remember them when at the computer or equipped with pen
& paper. I do quite a bit of journaling so always have catch up to complete
after a long drive.
We made it to the west side of
Omaha today with no issues until a few miles from our motel when someone
thought they wanted to exit I-80 but changed their mind and tried to veer back
on at the last (maybe longer than the last) minute. Those of us following all put our brake
pedals all the way to Australia or whatever is on the other side of the earth
from us. Collisions averted but I don’t
know how. I choose to believe it was a God story. In the blink of an eye, this action nearly
resulted in a fairly high- speed multi-car pile-up. Something like this tends to accelerate the
heart rate a bit. Some call this a near-miss but I believe near-hit is a better
term.
Anyway, we are safely ensconced
in our hotel room for the night. I am quite sure we will sleep well as we did
not last night. (Ask Sue about her probable broken toe as she, in the dark of
our bedroom, encountered her partially packed suitcase). I am grateful for the
change of pace vacation brings. While routines are a welcome part of life,
having a justified break from them is also invigorating. I am thankful for the ability to drive and
see this great country. I am grateful
for good company and companionship. I am thankful for God’s intervention that
protected us on the road today. And I am grateful for family and friends taking
care of our Milton business while we are traveling. Off to Laramie tomorrow to
connect with some good friends we haven’t seen in several years.
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