The Blessings of Travel

I didn't ride on an airplane until I was 18 years old.  My boyfriend Dean's parents bought me a ticket and we went to see him over Thanksgiving.  He was finishing basic training in the Air Force in Biloxi, Mississippi.  We flew into New Orleans.  We stayed with his Cajan grandparents.  Sitting at Thanksgiving dinner, I was staring at the barely dead whole crawfish on my plate.  Grandpa Courville said sternly, "when 'yer barefoot and pregnant with three young'uns at 'yer feet y'ull be eatin' whats put on 'yer plate." Suffice it to say, it didn't work out.  I might add that the in-laws I ended up with have slightly higher expectations of family life. . . and education.  All is well that ends well.

When I could start to afford it I flew back and forth from Texas to Iowa for breaks.  I flew to some weddings and funerals.

Then I married an airline executive.  For the next 12 years we flew everywhere.  Mostly for free.  That is obviously huge.  We sat in the cockpit of the plane from Amsterdam to Paris.  That was before 9/11.  After 9/11 flying was less fun, but we still went.  With kids.  Flying with toddlers was another story.  Each toy or book lasted about 45 seconds.  So you can do the math on a three hour flight.  Now the kids are old enough to get plugged in.  Since we don't over-media at home, I have no problem with this.  Hawaii is an eight hour flight, each movie is 90 minutes, here we are doing the math again.  It only gets easier.

I am the champion packer.  I can pack of family of four for a seven day trip in 20 minutes.  If the laundry is done.  I know how to fit a week's supply of little three ounce bottles into a quart baggie so that you couldn't possibly fill it with one more thing.

My husband loves to travel.  That is why he was so successful at living on a bus with the Glenn Miller Orchestra for three years.  That is why he can fly to China for two days and return un-jet-lagged.

I love to stay home.  I love drinking my coffee out of the same mug every day, looking out the same window.

The only lure of travel for me is people and beauty.  In the case of Minnesota versus Hawaii, there is also the sunshine and warmth element.  We are going with my mother, my sister, her husband, and their daughter.  There will be eight of us.  The reason I wanted them to go, was because it is so beautiful, and so warm.  I just think everyone should have a chance to see the ocean like this.  To just sit and watch the waves and let the kids run on the beach.  The first time Mary saw the beach, she just started running.  It is amazing.

The best news about this trip is that we have Spring break the week after we get home.  I will still get to drink my coffee and stare out my own window for a few days.

By the way there is no piano at the Marriott in Koalina.  So I have agreed that we will do extra listening in the hotel.  Thanks do Bill for earning the Marriott points with his work travel, and suffering through some tough times at nwa/Delta for the free flights.  It is better than a crawfish on a plate (not to mention that other condition) any day!

I am signing off the blog for a few days.  I hope you will return soon.  I hope you will have some sunshine and warmth too.  I wish we could take everyone.