The CT Travel Diaries - Part III

As you may have noticed, I've been struggling to post these last couple days... all I can say is sometimes life throws you curves, and hiding with a blanket sounds a lot better than facing the new reality in front of you.

But, today I thought I would continue telling you the final part of my CT travel diaries, because right now, with my eyes puffy and tired from the day's stress, it seems like the perfect time to write and reflect...

[Catch up on Parts I & II before continuing]

PART III - Saviors, Separation & Struggle

We woke up and realized we were completely snowed in... like, really snowed in... 36" of it, to be exact. Luckily we had power, unlike others, so there was one reason to be grateful!

Then we found out our G-Eazy concert was cancelled... such a bummer. I remember regretting the whole trip at that point, and wasn't sure I was even going to make it to see my mom... that maybe I was stuck here, maybe this was all a mistake, and maybe the weather was bad enough to delay my flight back.

But, then I stopped myself. This was happening, and whether I liked it or not, I couldn't change it. Spontaneous decisions bring out the unpredictable, and I had to embrace it. No matter how badly I wanted to pout and be upset, I was here with my sister, we were alive and well, and we had plenty of reasons to make the most of my time there.

So, after drinking up all the wine, eating up all the food, watching up all of Girls, and draining up my laptop battery, we were left with a case of cabin fever. And what are a bunch of girls to do snowed in without wine?

Well, we decided to axe the jammies, put on our pretty faces, and get dressed up to play in the snow, even if it was just to venture out to see how bad the roads were. And it was fun! I hadn't played in the snow in a really, really long time... it was refreshing to just breathe it in, fall on our butts, laugh it off, and feel the flush in our cheeks.

But after seeing the wall of snow separating us from the road, a harsh reality set in - no one was getting out of here tonight. It was one thing to shovel her car out from the rifts of snow, but it was another to wait for the plows to carve a way out of her complex.

So luckily, actually - extremely luckily - her roomate's friend was out driving a tow truck for the night, and my sister's bar was open, so after a little begging and pleading, we found ourselves on a bumpy ride towards civilians, booze, and a good time awaiting that we desperately needed.

I met her friends, drank beers, talked with strangers, laughed at everything, and danced on a table to this song on repeat 4x, until last call gave us the boot. Happy and satisfied, we headed home and slept like babies.

The next morning her apartment complex had a trail plowed through the parking lot, but her car was still completely covered. Without a shovel or an ice scraper around, we decided on some silly household supplies that might do the trick...

They didn't... so we borrowed a shovel from a random neighbor, made some decent progress, then had an impromptu snowball fight with her roommate. But being tired, hungover, and starving, we called my mom to see if she could bring more shovels to help get us out, and then started walking to a local breakfast place for brunch.

We finally met up with my mom there and I felt so relieved the snow hadn't kept us apart. It felt like the purpose of my trip was complete - I was with my Momma! She would drive us home to the house I grew up in. Over the next couple days I spent some much needed time with family, and reminded myself how much I miss them, and how all the trouble getting there was well worth it in the end.




As I hugged my sister goodbye that Tuesday morning, and later my mom at the airport, I couldn't help but let the tears flow. Distance can really put things into perspective - it makes the heart grow fonder and makes your time together that much more precious.

Those of you who live far away from your families know how heart-wrenching it can be. The holidays you don't get to spend together, the birthdays you miss, and the moments you wish you could be there for, but can't. Too many of those go by every year, and it's painful to step into their world and realize you aren't a part of it anymore - they have learned to live without you in a way.

Upon reviewing my trip...

I'm so glad I didn't turn back in Chicago - I believed I would get there despite the odds. 
I'm so glad I roughed it through NYC - I proved to myself that I'm stronger than I thought I was. 
I'm so glad I enjoyed myself - I was able to make the best of a bad situation.
I'm so glad I traveled alone - I realized I'm capable of being independent.

Looking back now, I think it was meant to happen this way so I could learn these things about myself that I wasn't sure of before. As I observe the new situation I'm in, I'm starting to think life has more plans for me than I thought.

It's time for me to trust - trust that whatever hard times I'm going through will lead toward a happier ending down the road. And one day I'll look back on this struggle and smile, because I knew it had to happen in order for me to learn.