Driving 6000 Miles for the Magic: A Miracle Trip

[disneyholic family]

how wonderful to have had the chance to visit with katrina....she seems like a lovely person....

as for your grandma's reaction.....i think it has to do with age....as my mom has gotten older, she seems much more 'greedy' about visits with her....no matter how much time i spend with her (or my kids - who are the same age as you) spend with her, it doesn't seem to be enough...
she never used to be like that, so i'm thinking it has to do with age....

anyway.....i'm looking forward to the next installment...

 

[DonaldTDuck]

Hi again, just got back from a week at the world a few days ago. Fightin a Fla cold, but had to get caught up. Thought about you on Soarin' and Star Tours especially. So glad you got to do them. I think reding your story made me appreciate all the magic just a bit more. Thanx for sharing with us.

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Hi, DTD, fancy meeting you here, LOL!

Hi Christamae, this is just funny, I know DTD from anthother thread. Of course, if he posted here before I forgot, I have a memory like a sieve.

Anyway, Hi to both of you!

 

[Echo queen]

Hey Christamae, I hope you have an installment for us this weekend. You have carried me this far we leave on Friday for our adventure. I have looked forward to handing on to every word you write for weeks I have so enjoyed and been enlightened by your writing.

All ways tuned in

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Waiting for more
I know traveling Mickey is at your house now so you are busy. By the way if you ever want to trade for pins from Japan just email me.

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

Hey everyone,

Sorry for the delay. We had to drive to the Bay area to pick up my cousin. Traffic was horrible! Just got back.

Tanya90210: Thanks...Hope the trip is good!

Backstage_Gal: I am 1/4 German...I actually didn't debate. I did interpretation/acting and oratory (a speech that tells of a societal problem and how to fix it).

jlcd: Thanks...drama is the genre of my life

mrsksomeday: Thank you...

KathyRN137: Thanks...I really did love getting lost in the pure expanse of blue sky.

wdw1014: Glad you got the computer back and are back on board.

eyeheartgoofy: Thanks.

crgfsu1: Thank you. A good busy. I was a really social person before the trach and it is nice to step back into that world.

Poohtigeey: Thanks and welcome.

DisneyJo:

Momof2wCF: Thanks. CF is a hard disease...I have written about 50 poems and keep an online journal...PM me for the site.

zigzagzerr: Thanks-friends are important...

disneyholic family: Thanks and welcome.

PittypatBR: Thanks...my life=drama...

DonaldTDuck: Ah, memories of the magic

Backstage_Gal:

Echo queen: I do have an update...Have fun!

tokyodisneydad: Mickey and I were in the car all day-but he did see the ocean...I would love some Japan pins but am not sure that I currently have any worthy tradeable pins-I will definitely take you up on that offer, though

Here it is...

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

Wednesday, August 2, 2006

Today we faced the challenge of elevation. We had to make it to Albuquerque, New Mexico to sleep at a safe elevation. So there was a bit of stress over that.

While on the road, we discovered a message on our cell phone. It was an exasperated Sandy Tuckett. Evidently the message we left on her cell phone didn’t register until this morning. She was sad she missed us.

Soon we faced the mountains.

Ug.

The RV complained.

Our bodies complained.

Everyone was affected.

As the saying goes, we needed a vacation from our vacation!

At this point we were counting down the days and hours ‘til we got home.

We eagerly pulled into the hotel parking lot. Dad started to open the lift to a familiar foreboding grinding sound.

The lift was stuck…again.

Trapping us.

After a few choice words, Dad got to the solution.

Wedging the cargo strap into the offending chain and with a mighty yank…

We were free!

Danielle had a bit of a rough night because the people next door were smoking in the non-smoking room and the smoke was wafting in. It got so bad that Mom had to call the front desk…

So all in all…a trying day.

I am going to combine the final two days of driving with lots of pictures to be posted on September 29, 2007. Then I’ll have 1-3 posts of reflection, how the trip changed/helped me, and closing.

So at the least two posts and at the most four.

We’re winding down-keep me alive!

See you on the 29th.

-Christamae
"I'm Coming Home" w/lotsa pics- Page 37, Post #553

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Hi Christamea, thanks for the update.

Good ol' Dad to the rescue again, gotta love that man!

See you on the 29th!

 

[KathyRN137]

Hmmm. Sounds like they should have given you a break on the RV rental... it certainly gave you lots of "breaks".

And I thought a three hour flight home was unpleasant!

"See" you next week,

Kathy

 

[tokyodisneydad]

tokyodisneydad: Mickey and I were in the car all day-but he did see the ocean...I would love some Japan pins but am not sure that I currently have any worthy tradeable pins-I will definitely take you up on that offer, though

Here it is...

Don't sell your pins short. I'm sure you have some gret ones. Plus I'm very easy to trade with. i'm into pin trading for the joy of trading. I have been known to trade a LE100 Disney Mall pin for a plastic button just because the little girl liked my pin.

 

[Momof2wCF]

ChristaMae, thanks for the update. SuperDad to the rescue again!!
Can't wait until the 29th, and 4 more posts would be lovely
I'll PM you now, thanks. Kirsten

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

A BIG Thank You! To all who are still reading and especially all those who are still posting

Backstage_Gal: Thanks! Dad is a great problem solver. "Necessity is the mother of invention"

Kathy RN137: Ya, we kinda thought the RV company owed us, too. Then again we did crunch the top. In the end they were impressed with Dad's fix and just kept the $500 for the insurance deductable.

tokyodisneydad: I do love trading PM me here and at dizpins and we'll see what we can work out . Mickey has left and I posted his last adventures on dizpins...Thanks for following my journey.

Momof2wCF: Glad to see you're enjoying and thanks for posting.

Here we go:

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

The last two days of driving were basically a chant , “we can make it, we can make it, almost home, almost home, not much farther, not much farther,” etc.

We were all tired and tired of driving.

Don’t get me wrong. We were glad we went and still reminisce of that happy time.

But we were done for.

We really pushed to do as much as possible and ran on adrenaline and excitement. Now we were crashing.

And it’s much harder to drive home farther and farther from the magic and wonder, never knowing if you’ll return, then when you’re driving towards it.

Still, we looked forward to the comforts of home.

Won’t it be nice to…
…Not have to unload equipment every night.
…Get a real, home cooked meal
…Sleep in our own beds
…Not have to drive
…Take a nice, long shower
…Sleep in
…Get online
…Go to church

Be home.

We took a lot of pictures on August 3rd. The area between Albuquerque and Needles was one of the prettiest. Here are those pictures-pretty ones and ones that seem to express the never-ending journey.

August 4th was just basically a continuation of the 3rd. Same attitude, same push. We all agreed that we would drive until we arrived home. It wouldn’t be worth all the time and effort of unloading, or the expense, to sleep three hours from home.

More pictures:

When we finally arrived from our grand adventure a collective sense of relief seemed to permeate the air. Mom was visibly relieved that her driving was done. We had overcome so many obstacles.

I was a bit sad that the mind-boggling adventure was over. I didn’t want to return to my ‘normal’ life.

My cousin, Shayna, who was living with us at the time, had some fun surprises. Everyone’s bedroom door had a little welcome sign. And my parents bed had a male, adult-sized, dressed dummy in their bed. Shayna is a squeaky clean girl which made the whole thing rather amusing.

The sign on my parent’s door:

We unloaded the bare minimum medical equipment and went to bed as quickly as possible.

The wonderful, seemingly impossible yet oh so real dream journey over.

Two more installments.

The next on Saturday, October 6th –how this trip changed and motivated me. (the 3rd is my 22nd birthday)

Thanks for following along
-Christamae
The Change- Page 39, Post #572

 

[DisneyJo]

I'm so pleased you all arrived home safely, I always crave my bed and normal food too. That journey must have gone on forever it all looked the same!!!!

Have a very Happy Birthday Christamae

 

[Backstage_Gal]

YAY!! Home sweet Home!!!

Have a great Birthday!!

 

[jlcd]

Thank you for sharing your journey with us! I look forward to your last installments.

 

[Who'syourMickey]

Beautiful pics Christamae! The life sized dummy and the sign your cousin put on the door of your parents room is very funny! My girls got into pin trading during our trip....and it all started with one of them getting lost at splash mountain.....the story will be in my trip report. I will post their pins and in our trip rreport to see if anyone would like to trade with them also.

Today is my Birthday too. Happy Birthday!

 

[KathyRN137]

Ahhh, so good to be home!!

I've really got to hand it to you and your family. You did not let anything get you down for more than a moment.

And, fellow Libra!! I'm celebrating next week, too!!


Kathy

 

[nyyankeegirl]

Happy Birthday Christamae!!
So sad that your TR is coming to an end. Glad that the end of your journey was w/o any problems- and that you made it home safe & sound!
Pin trading became an addiction for my DS5 this past week. I just might have to check out dizpins!

 

[mrsksomeday]

YAY!!! Another wonderful installment. I am so glad you made it home with no more drama. The sign was hilarious and as always your pictures were amazing.

I can't wait for the next installment, but am sad that it is almost over. You have taken us on a magical, exhausting, wonderful journey. I am honored to have read about you and your wonderful family.