Why, yes – I did fly from NYC to Chicago last week for a road trip to Michigan.
Friends and strangers alike have declared me insane for footing the bill for a round-trip plane ticket and three days in a hotel, just to spend seven hours in a car with the end goal of picking a few apples and doing some shopping – but it’s not quite as crazy as it sounds.
Because it’s not actually about the apples, or the shopping (tho I do love my new things), or the food (which is always amazing). It’s about time spent with dear friends – and it is also about the journey. I am exhausted, but this trip was worth every penny, and every hour of lost sleep.
There are few things in life that fill my heart with as much joy as driving over the Michigan border. The landscape changes, and with it, my heart. I feel lighter; there is more room to breathe. Inevitably, about 5 minutes after we cross the state line, I notice that I’m smiling. In this moment, right here, I am happy.
This road trip has become an annual tradition, one that’s been going on long enough that I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve made the journey. Every year has had its own adventures…
that time we went apple picking and it hailed… #whatthehail #worthit
that time we drove past a truck full of sheep and the driver was blasting “Single Ladies” #youdoyou #allthesinglesheep
…and the details of our lives have changed over the years – but our friendships have only grown deeper. We talk about everything – life, love, family, friendships, kids, food, shows, sorrows, joys, and enneagrams. We splurge a little – lattes and hot apple cider, and a few more donuts than were maybe absolutely necessary. We window-shop, try on clothes we don’t end up buying, and buy candles we could have ordered online.
It is the simplest of days in the midst of a complex life. But for this one day: we are away, we are together – and in some small, mysterious, and lovely way, these precious moments re-root me in the kingdom of God, here on earth as it is in heaven.
We have journeyed together a long time; we know each others’ stories by heart. We have shared a few tears and what-the-hells; we have also shared a lot of laughter. These annual trips have become an oasis on the long road home, and I am so deeply grateful to be in such good company.
This weekend was a gift, and I will treasure it forever.
More to come,
Happy
