Welcome to the start of summer, a time to make memories, take vacations, explore the outdoors, and honor fathers.
Thinking about my father, I remember how he prioritized a summer vacation for our family. He grew up on a farm with six siblings, and they didn’t have the luxury of travel. However, once he became an adult, he never stopped. He hit the road as soon as he got his first car and drove to Florida. I still have the souvenir decoupage Jesus he brought back for his mother in 1958 from that trip. This keepsake Jesus has lived with me since I left home in 1987.
As a child, our summer vacations were always in the family car or van, and we played license plate games and Travel Bingo from Ohio to Virginia or Utah or California to help pass the time. We had some unforgettable adventures and the memories we made while traveling nurtured my soul. I share some of those experiences in the LA Story “Crickets.”
After my sister and I moved away, my dad continued his love of travel with my mom, my Uncle Dale and Aunt Judy, and his motorcycle buddies. He loved the open road. For his funeral mass card, my mom chose the one with a lone motorcycle rider driving straight into the unknown.
I tried to carry on the travel tradition with my children with yearly trips to the beach when they were young, but once sports started that took precedent with our time and budget. Thankfully, my children have the travel gene and prioritize it with their families, this year alone they will travel across the country and abroad.
My daughter initiated an annual girls’ trip for her and I eight years ago. It has since grown to include my three daughters-in-laws, and it’s the highlight of my year. We’ve also been able to coordinate family vacations in the last few years with all four of our children and their families, including grandchildren, and when we are all together relaxing, just hanging out, wherever we are life is good.
In my first book, “God is in the Odd…” I share the impact of my father’s life, his passing, and the moment he let me know that he is always with me via cars. In my second book, I detail his hobbies and those of others. One chapter is about my former boss who is currently on a road trip across America in a restored Airstream mobile home. Her journey to make it happen is as fascinating as the national monuments in her travel log.
A few call to actions for this month: allow yourself to be bored, enjoy a walk in the woods, be mindful of trees, flowers, freshly cut grass, blue skies, and warm sun, take a road trip if only for a day and look out the open window, let the breeze blow through your hair, pack your favorite snacks and playlist, and be open to the unexpected.
