Road Trip

There's something about a road trip.....My husband and I are meeting up with our son in Montreal on Saturday, and then driving some thirteen hours to Chicago. The long hours of sitting are not going to do my body any favors, but there's something about a road trip....The drive is a choice; partly financial, partly because our son's schedule tends to unravel with last minute changes, and a plane ticket requires firm commitment. But, the long hours in the car also promise a kind of close proximity with one another that's a little hard to come by otherwise and that's something I cherish. There's a strong possibility he will sleep for long stretches, but given that he will be doing 1/3 of those 13 driving hours, we're guaranteed at least some time to talk, and just be together. Plus, though the drive is mostly a long and tedious one, we will have a front row seat to Summer's swan song of Autumn color. Add to this the soundtrack to Hamilton and well, there are worse ways to spend 13 hours!My husband and I met in Chicago in the late eighties. Both kids were born there, but we left for Southern Cal when Liam was just 18 months old so he has no memories of it. When we visit, we are as happily entertained and wide-eyed as any other tourists, strolling the city, the lake front, the restaurants, the theatre. People watching alone is pretty great.I'm so happy I will get to spend some time with one of my dearest, oldest friends and her family. It's been far too long.I know that at the end of our long drive home my husband and I will say to each other, "I love where we live." I will feel renewed gratitude—I always do—that I am able to make a living doing something I both love and feel adds value to the world. I will savor the quality of beauty, peace and quiet that surrounds us here.I will experience the real joy of taking a road trip: the journey back to home.