Some of my favorite sister-memories have occurred while we were road tripping. These memorable road trips just seem to happen in midst of big life changes for either of us.
Our first memorable road trip was when my sister was moving across states from Ohio to Maryland. We traveled in a packed car by night, driving through the mountains, listening to Bob Seger and talking endlessly. I would come to look back on this trip as one of my first great memories with my sister due to our complicated history. I admired her so much for taking chances and living her own life. Notable moment – getting caught in the snow in the mountains of Virginia and our windshield wipers quitting on us. We slowly made our way to a huge truck stop and struggled in the parking lot for about to hour to get the new wipers back on. Funny now, it was not then.
Another memorable road trip occurred when I, too, was following my sister’s footsteps and moving from Ohio to Maryland. It was my 21st birthday, the car was packed, and all my loved ones and friends were there to see us off after pouring shots down my throat. Crying drunkenly, I passed out in one state and woke up in another. That road trip was a mix of excitement and sadness, as I was leaving everything I had known. We have often likened this trip to that song ‘Wide Open Spaces’ by the Dixie Chicks. This was a different sort of get-to-know-you-trip for me & my sister, the road more familiar this time.
Two weeks before I was to start radiation treatment for breast cancer, we took off on another epic road trip. I had been through a transplant, been sober only a little over 6 months, and was going through a heartbreaking breakup. My sister swooped me up and spent every moment of the next two weeks traveling around the south of the United States. We had laughs, we had cries, we talked about first loves, and for me, it felt like I was on the precipice of emotions, questioning what I was going to do with this fragile life. It was introspective, it was love, there were so many laughs, and it was exactly what I believe we both needed.
Since that fateful trip, we have made space to take a trip each Spring – just the two of us, when possible, to make more ridiculous memories. And I hope we can keep having this release until we are old and gray. I highly recommend it.