Road Trip Archives - Carrie Baughcum

I look into her eyes. My forehead wrinkles as my lips frown and then begin to quiver. Tears begin to slowly flow down my cheeks. In an instant my going to miss you tears change to a stream of wildly flowing tears and my quivering lip changes to full on balling. The whirl wind three days we spent with my husband’s sister and her family had made unforgettable memories…

our girls very first trip to the ocean

a trip to Time Square

our girls conquering their fears and both taking their first jumps of a diving board and conjuring more courage and blowing our minds as they then took turns going down the slide

These Long Island memories are just the highlights of the memories that rush through my head as my heart is flooded with emotions fueling my tears.

Not only is she a fantastic sister-in-law, she is full of wit, sass, a contagious zest for life, a infinitely generous heart, is loving and has a smile and a sparkle in her eye that lights a room… she is amazing. She is a part of our life that distance steals from us. We are going to miss her deeply. I take one final squeeze before we release each other from our embrace. I take a deep breath and try to wipe away the flow of tears long enough to say good-bye. I walk to the car with my family. I get in and as we wait for our girls to buckle their seatbelts I look at my husband and smile. I wrap my arms around him and we both start to cry. No matter how much I will miss her the heartache of having a sister that lives 1000 miles away is crushing and leaves a hole that no amount of phone calls, emails or texts can fill.

“I’m really going to miss her,” he muffles from inside our hug.

“Me too.”

An hour into our 1000 mile road trip east, my husband is finally at ease on the road. While the girls are busy playing with their surprises (a tradition of a new toy waiting for them on their car seats on the day of a long trip) my husband and I start to chat and catch up. We talk about all the things that I packed, him quizzing me from his personal list in his head. Like it would make a difference if something were missing at this point in the trip. We share the events of the week. His work related, mine about the girls and getting ready for the trip. We talk about what lies ahead on our trip. The conversation changes to a discussion as we run out of things to tell each other about our weeks.

“You know sometimes I wish you would admit that I am right and just let me have that!” he grumpily ends the discussion.

I look at him, smile kindly and say, “You’re right.”

I open my book and begin to read.

The jets soar. Each passing one leaves the girls covering their ears and our stomachs shaking from their powerful jet engines. Biplanes zig, zag, twist and turn performing maneuvers that take your breath away and make you giggle in awed delight. The Thunderbirds make their last fly by, telling us that the air show has come to an end. We leave the grounds smiling and sharing with each other our favorite part of the show.

“You know what I’d love to do next year?”

“What?” my husband asks.

“Next year we should pack sandwiches and put together a cooler. You know, bring an umbrella and a blanket. Have a picnic and watch the planes! I really loved watching the planes.” I say hoping he will be pleased with my embrace of an activity he is so passionate about.

“Oh, I don’t knowwwwwwww. I really just like the Thunderbirds.”

“It would be fu-un. Sandwiches, drinks, blanket with a big umbrella. We could sit, eat and enjoy the air show. I really loved watching the biplanes,” I respond to his whiny tone with the passion of a used car salesman trying to make a sale and give him the smile of a wife who is trying to get something.

“I don’t know. It is so hot. All we do is sweat. It would be like 90 degrees, like today. I really don’t think being here longer would be any fun.”

Like a child who’s discovered their favorite toy has been broken I lower my head and frown.

“You’re right,” I sweetly reply.

“How come every time you say that lately I get the feeling you really mean ‘Whatever… you don’t know!’ or ‘OK dumbass’?” he inquires.

Looking over my shoulder from my spot in front of him I smile and say with a shoulder shrug, “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

{WINK}

Tag: Road Trip

We’ll Miss You Long Island

You’re Right