With that incredibly large disposable income now gone, the idea of a family vacation has changed. While we would still like to go on cruises or lounge on the beach in Playa Del Carmen or in a hut in Bora Bora, we will now have to save for those vacations. In the meantime we will take care of our wanderlust by doing something Karla's family did frequently during her childhood ---- road trips.
We started by purchasing passes to every single state park so that we could spend a good deal of our vacations hiking, biking, fishing, and camping. Just to clarify, my idea of camping now involves a cabin with an air conditioner. I used to do the tent thing but never found it that amusing.
Karla has also gotten out the map and searched for things to do that are within driving distance in the states surrounding, or almost surrounding, us.
Her choice for our first road trip made my heart skip a beat.....
I am a huge baseball fan and have loved the game since I could walk. And even though I wasn't that good playing the game, it never dampened my enthusiasm for it. So when Karla said we were driving to Dyersville, Iowa to see the Field of Dreams movie set I couldn't stop grinning. The little kid in me was going crazy.
For those of you that don't know what the Field of Dreams is, check out this link:
http://www.fodmoviesite.com/
I couldn't wait to set foot on that beautiful field and play catch with the kids. To step out of the corn field and into the outfield. To sit on the bleachers where James Earl Jones sat and said, "They will come, Ray......People will most definitely come."
Excuse me for just a second.....I'm getting a little choked up.
Now, while I couldn't wait to get rolling, Tera had other ideas. Neither one of my kids had seen the movie, (How in the Hell did I let that happen?) but Toby has always been a low key and open minded young man. I don't recall him ever really being vehemently opposed to any new experience.
Tera, on the other hand, was invited to a birthday party and this trip to release my inner child was getting in the way of her cake and ice cream. "Why can't dad go by himself?" she muttered.
But by Saturday morning she had (for the most part) gotten over her disappointment and was (kind of) looking forward to the trip. We got everything packed and was on the road by 9:30.
Toby's low key personality is a perfect fit for road trips. Give him his iPod and control of the radio and he is good to go.
Tera, however, is high strung, fidgety, and loud. It didn't take me long to regret that I didn't bring a set of ear buds to tune her out.
Here is how the drive to Dyersville went with my loud daughter:
9:30 -- On the road. Beautiful, sunny day.....all is right with the world.
11 am -- Tera has run out of things to do. "How long have we been driving?"
11:30 am --- "How much further?"
11:50 am --- "How much longer 'til we get there?"
Karla: "Tera, it's at least six and a half hours to Dyersville. You need to be patient."
Tera, "Really? Grrr."
1pm -- Three and a half hours of dub-step music in enough. I switched over to Brudda Iz, Jack Johnson, and some Zac Brown band.
1:30 pm --- Tera: "Can't we listen to music we all know?"
Karla: "Tera, it's your Dad and I's turn to listen to our music."
Tera: "But your music sucks."
2 pm -- Tera: "My butt is numb.....I think I'm dying."
2:25 pm --- Tera: "What time is it? Are we closer?"
Karla: "Yes, only a couple of hours to go."
Tera: (Sigh)......."Grrr."
3:10 pm -- Karla had seen a crop duster before; but for the rest of us it was a first. Toby said it best when he exclaimed, "Man, I think I'd poop myself if I was flying that low, that fast."
Tera just shrugged and asked in a bitchy tone, "Are we there yet?"
Me: "My God, Tera, would you like a little cheese with your whine?"
Tera: "No, we didn't bring any cheese."
Me: "Never mind."
3:30 pm -- Tera: "I wish we had a TV in here. That way we could watch movies or Cartoon Network. It wouldn't be so boring then."
4 pm -- Tera digs a book out of her back pack. The abrupt silence is the most wonderful thing I have never heard. All is peaceful.
4:10 pm ---- Peace gone. "Are we ever going to get there?"
4:30 pm ---- Me: "Tera, WE ARE HERE!!!"
Tera, "Aw, dang it. I was reading my book." Tera slams the book shut and gets out of the car in a huff.
Thinking to myself, "If I threw her against a wall, how far would she bounce? Christ."
After checking in to the hotel we went out and got a bite to eat, then took pictures of the St. Francis Xavier basilica. By definition, I have no idea what a basilica is, but it did look cool.
We then spent the rest of the evening sacked out in our hotel room. I can't for the life of me figure out what it is about driving all day that wears you out.
The next morning my pilgrimage to the field of dreams had reached it's end. It was everything I dreamed it would be. I stood on the outfield and just looked around, grinning like an idiot, and soaked it all in.
There were no uniforms, no sponsorships, no banners flying with the names of companies attempting to sell their overpriced equipment.
There were just people there. People from New York, Michigan, Indiana, Kansas....On and on and on. They were playing catch in the infield. The crack of a wood bat echoed and a glove popped as a ball was caught.
People laughed as they ran the bases. Pictures were taken constantly. The love of the game had never shone more brightly than on this little spot, in the middle of a corn field, in a small town in Iowa.
I thought about Kevin Costner asking his dad, "Wanna have a catch?" and I almost teared up. My God, I love this game.
I smiled and went to play. I crouched behind the plate as Toby pitched to me. I heard Tera yell at her Mom, "Stay in front of the ball!!" So I saved Karla from another tongue lashing and played catch with Tera while she went to take pictures.
Tera ran the bases. We all went out to the corn field and got a picture of us walking out of it and into center field. We sat on the bleachers and watched other people play.
Everyone that was there was there for the love of the game. Here, in Iowa, the true meaning of baseball still exists. Here, in Iowa, I found my love of the game could grow even stronger, which I didn't think was possible. No, it isn't Heaven......But, it's damn close.
After the Field of Dreams, we had to indulge Karla's sick desire to color in her US map.
Karla has this map that she colors in for all the states she visits. Since we were so close to Illinois and Wisconsin we just had to make the drive to both states so Karla could say she had been there.
Toby and I both asked her, "You've been to Illinois, why are we going there?"
Karla, "The kids haven't been there."
Me "What? Yes they have. We stopped over in Chicago on our way to Miami."
Karla, "An airport doesn't count."
Toby, "What do you mean, doesn't count? So driving two minutes over the border and driving back out does?"
Karla, "Yes."
????????
Whatever, knock yourself out.
So we spent five minutes in Illinois and two minutes in Wisconsin. Karla was happy. She got to color in her map and the kids' map. Yeah, I don't know.
While on the trip there were a few moments of tense discussion about what the definition of "lost" is.
To me, if you miss a turn and have to rely on your GPS to get you turned around and on the right path ---- that is lost.
To Karla, as long as she is breathing and capable of movement she is NEVER lost.
After a while we realized that we had reached an impasse on this topic, and so, have decided to agree to disagree......Until the next time she gets lost..... :)
Now, I am sitting at home writing this blog.......By far my favorite. I hope someday to go back and stay longer. I hope that someday I will be able to take my grandkids there. It is, to me, one of the most beautiful places in the world. :)
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