35 years ago this August, my Dad went on a month long roadtrip with two other buddies of his across the U.S. and Mexico. He only took with him $300 and a journal. On this humid night, my father and I searched through the garage for that journal so I can take it with me when I embark on a two week roadtrip across the U.S., almost the exact same route my father did in 1975.
We found it after searching for about 20 minutes. The journal is a mustard yellow spiral notebook that was in a three-ring binder that had a picture of California's Redwood forest on it. He wanted me to read the entries to see what was going through his head during his journey. Why?.... Read the next paragraph.
What's fitting about this whole thing is the resemblance of his trip to mine. We are leaving almost 35 years to the date when he left: August 15th, 1975 to July 3rd 2010. He traveled to California and back... so are we. He went on the trip with a mindset that I have right now because of the same reasons of what happened to him and what's happening to me. His mother gave him a Saint Christopher's medal to wear on the trip. Saint Christopher is the patron saint of safe traveling. He has worn that medal around his neck everyday since then. I have a Saint Christopher as well as a Saint Jude medal around my neck. I got mine around 7 years ago and today we exchanged our Saint Christopher medals for this trip. I'm going to wear his and he is going to wear mine.
Everybody knows my love and passion for traveling. This trip means the absolute world to me right now. Two weeks, 6,000 miles, 100+ hours of driving, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Memphis and everything in between, white water rafting in the Rockies, vintage train riding in the Royal Gorge, visiting my favorite place in the world (San Francisco) and showing my friends what I saw in the city 2 years ago, coasting down Highway 1 along the Pacific Ocean, gambling my dedicated $50, crossing the Hoover, observing one of the worlds' 7 natural wonders, driving down Route 66 and stopping at a Diner in the middle of nowhere, and everything in between......2 more days....
Shadows & Light
2 months ago
How very awesome.......you and your Dad are so much alike.... I hope this trip does for you what it did for him...enjoy this next journey in you life: Life is for living: get out there and do it!!! just be safe....Mom
ReplyDeleteI'm really excited for you and cannot WAIT to see the photos. I hope you guys have fun and be careful!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful and meaningful trip. I hope it is everything you want it to be and more! Mrs. B.
ReplyDeleteThat is incredible! I'm a big, big believer on those chances in life being planned and ordained in a way. Our wedding was 28 years to the day my father was married at 22 to his first wife and that wasn't planned. There are just some things that fate lays at your feet and reminds you of how attuned we are to our families! It's so incredible you're taking his Saint Christopher medal! Those are awesome and it'll be a more meaningful trip all the way around! It's also an awesome feeling to take your friends where you were, maybe they'll get to feel what you felt. I'm so glad you've got your Dad, I miss mine more all the time but the times I catch myself doing what he did or being the person he raised me to be, I still feel really connected like he's here. Hug your Dad all the time, I'm sure you already do! Families, ahh! Have a blast and hug all of my other friends, too! I'll drag out my Saint Christopher medel and pray for your traveling safety. <3
ReplyDeleteBrandon, Whitney, Megan, Andrew and Jake just left to go on their journey across the USA!!!!!!Have the time of your lives and enjoy every second of the trip: but be careful and safe please. Love all of you!!!!!!!! VKP
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