DREAM VACATION

When most people think of a dream vacation, they have mental visions of palm trees swaying in ocean breezes or musky cobblestone streets separating shadowy European buildings, but for me, I can't think of a better vacation than the one I returned from last fall. My trip to visit with family members and friends that have been so close to my heart but so far away in time and distance, brought me more pleasure and joy than I can express.

It had been from eight to thirty-eight years since I last spent time with some of these wonderful people. Where do the years go? I definitely don't get “back home” often enough. Thanks to each and everyone of them for the love and the time they shared with me.

My solo 2000-mile road trip was quite easy thanks to accessible directions on the Internet, an ample supply of books-on-tape and good weather, except for the five-minute deluge when I couldn't see beyond the windshield en route to my cousin Mary's house.

Map Quest directions were accurate all but once. I can't tell you how many trips I made up and down St. Charles Rock Road in St. Louis searching for my sister's street. Map Quest hadn't let me down before so it didn't occur to me that it could actually be wrong. Just for the record, Rex Avenue in St. Louis does not intersect with St. Charles Rock Road.

Gateway Arch Photo by geodesic