I will turn 50 in October of 2016. Dave and I will celebrate our 30th anniversary in August of that same year. Big celebrations deserve big plans, right?

I love to travel. He loves to travel. I love to fly. He does not.
I kept telling him that I was going to Europe this fall with or without him.
He said he’d try. He said go ahead and make the plans and by the time it comes around he’ll be ready.

He’s full of shit bologna.
In over thirty years together, he has flown once. We flew to Miami for a cruise for our ten year anniversary. (Boats are okay.)
He white-knuckled the armrests the entire four hour flight. Four hours? Please.
Then he told me after we (of course) arrived safely that his mantra had been “I hate Mary, I hate Mary”.

That was twenty years ago.
He still hates flying.

(But he still loves me.)

People often suggest that I drug him. That would be fine for the actual flight, but what about the time leading up to it? People offer up the “surprise we’re at the airport, quick swallow this!” plan. That might work for the destination flight, but what about the return flight? The anticipation can be draining.

I hadn’t planned on blogging about this today. I’ve been kicking around an idea for Cupdate 2 where I check some more off my Cup List and add to it for the new year. But then I awoke to winter. To rainy ice and sleety snow and slick roads.

I can hear the ice pellets pinging off my window as I type. The wind is literally whistling this morning, fast and sharp. And I realized that this weather is my flying.

I don’t have to go anywhere today. (Thank goodness! I say that, but you know what, even if I had plans, I’d cancel. Because I can stay home.) But what about the bulk of the populace that has to go to work on Mondays?! What about my kids and my husband who have to drive in these dangerous conditions? So even though I don’t have to brave the elements, the weather is still freaking me out.

I know they have already arrived safely, but guess what? At some point today, they will have to come home. So I will worry all day long.

See, I get it.

I’m pleased to say that I love travel. All travel. Anywhere.
And there is SO MUCH of the contiguous U.S. that I have not visited! We’ve never been to the West Coast. I love a coast! My only experience with California was the airport. (But considering our gates could NOT have been further apart, I do feel like maybe I’ve seen California.) I’d love to visit Oregon and Washington. There’s a Chihuly exhibit in Seattle (Bucket List). And that’s only the beginning of interesting sights to see out there.

Yes, it’s a long drive. And I know the stats about driving vs. flying. But we’ll take our time and meander across this great nation of ours admiring the breathtaking vistas, sampling the local fare, and enjoying the people and culture. And I’m sure we’ll take in a ball game and hit up a concert, too. We’re cool like that.

Big celebrations deserve big plans.

(It’s barely 9:30 am. This distraction has not lasted nearly long enough… I need to get away from a window or it’s going to be a very draining day.)