On Saturday morning, September 21st, my beloved daughter, Elizabeth, and her sweet boyfriend, Ron Wolfgang Betty, will head off on a two-month road trip across the United States. Both are recent law school graduates and are awaiting their bar exam results, which are exactly two months from being announced. They are dubbing this the “Beat the Blues after the Bar Exam” trip and will be stopping off to see family and friends from California to Massachusetts and then back round through the Deep South to Texas then on home to LA.
This trip was the brainchild of my husband, Ray, and daughter, Elizabeth. I could hear them in the den having an active conversation while I was working in the living room with my students. When I was finished for the day and headed in to see what was happening, Liz said, “Dad and I have been talking about how much fun a road trip might be for Ron and me. Dad thinks we should visit all of our family friends who have figured out how to live outside the box.”
We do have a fair number of friends who have actively rejected the cubicle life. My response: “Sounds like a lot of fun.”
The last time Ray and Liz cooked up a scheme, I walked in the room only to hear, “Mom, Dad and I are going to take the LSAT. Dad is doing it to give me support since I’ve just now decided to go to law school.” That was just about 3 years ago. Since then, Liz took that LSAT (as did Ray), after which she headed to law school and met Ron Betty on the very first day. They have been joined at the hip since that first meeting.
Road trips have a universal appeal: open spaces, new places, adventure, the unknown. Who wouldn’t want to dedicate two months to traveling around the country and seeing old friends? Heck, I have half a notion to hide in the trunk until they’re too far to turn around. (Of course, I’m afraid I might get dropped off at the nearest Greyhound station…)
I am delighted these two dedicated and hardworking people are taking time to do something most people long to do – take to the open road to experience some freedom from day-to-day life. Naturally, Elizabeth has the trip organized (complete with a chart) and Ron is making sure all the pre-trip preparations are getting done on schedule. Today, they made gifts they can offer to their many hosts along the way.
So, if you see a bright red Ford Focus pull up in front of your house and two road-weary folks stumble up to your door, please know that’ll be Liz and Ron. I would appreciate it if you’d welcome them in. They will have stories to tell, I’m sure, and will make you laugh, I guarantee. In exchange, can you offer them a spot on your living room floor? They don’t need much, I promise, and you can enjoy their adventure without ever having to leave your armchair.
Unless, of course, you sneak into the trunk of their car, and hide there next to me.
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