"There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it." -Charles Dudley Warner The itinerary Susan Romney puts together for our annual girl's excursions billed this trip as number 18! It's amazing that our eclectic group of 5 has traveled every fall consecutively for 18 years.
The trip logistics have even fallen into a nice routine. Each of us has different (and mostly self imposed) assignments that we hone in on during the planning.
Ann Williams is our official driver which includes handling our rental car reservations. Ann's claim to fame is that at age 50-something she has never been in an accident nor has she had a traffic citation. Unheard of! So, we're happy to trust in Ann's abilities to get us safely wherever we want to go. Interestingly, Ann does not drive slow and she isn't particularly cautious which makes the fact she's had no tickets even harder to believe! We've decided that Ann has full time guardian angels watching over her as she speeds around town!
Carole Beal is our culture queen! Carole also lived on the East Coast the longest (between the years they were at Yale Law School and with a law firm in New York) and Carole currently has 2 daughters living in New York. So, Carole is always in-the-know the about new Broadway shows, the latest art exhibitions, and the hot restaurants! Carole's our wealth of information! And literary guru no less!
Susan Romney is our R&D (research and development) specialist. Before our trip Susan emails weather information and reminders about what attire to bring. Will we need a coat? A dress for church? Check with Susan. During the trip Susan makes a pretty good Mom; making sure we've thought through all the logistics of the day, etc. Technically we rotate who is the Mom each day but I'm partial to Susan - she's our most responsible Mom!
Julie Larson is like bringing along a free therapist! Julie's husband, Kerry, is truly a therapist and Julie has gleaned so much insight from Kerry that we can pretty much count on Julie to solve all of our problems. And all of our husband's problems. And all of our kid's problems. Etc.! Quite seriously, Julie is a great friend to shop talk ideas with! Furthermore, Julie is always willing to wait for someone or go without or be the odd man out. Julie's got a big heart!
I'm the baby of the group; the only one who isn't a Grandmother! I'm also the only fool willing to get up early and take off on a run before we start the day. So, I've become the official Scout! My morning runs might involve searching out a good place for breakfast, or where the closest drugstore might be, or what time the box office opens. During the day I'm the designated person if we need someone to run ahead and get in line or rundown/hail a taxi. Maybe because I don't have grandchildren (yet) they seem to think I have more energy and stamina. Or maybe I just drive them nuts with my adrenaline rush of seeing new sights!
We've taken so many trips together that we've gotten into a smooth rhythm. Susan can be counted on to bring a camera and she forces us to write in a journal. Ann takes a bath every single night! Carole remembers books and movies in great detail. Julie is always willing to compromise. I keep us on-the-go. For 6 days every fall we become a family of sorts; starting every morning with a group prayer and then we're off...seeking new horizons!
