We leave in two days with what is probably the most hectic “vacation” schedule ever. On top of that, it’ll be the first time Celeste travels anywhere more than 4 hours away. Of course, we’re crazy, so she’ll make 7 different trips to places more than 4 hours away over the course of 3 weeks. In the words of Tim Roth from the movie Four Rooms, “I haven’t got a problem. I’ve got problems. Plural.”
If everything goes as planned it will go something like this:
Thursday(7/3) morning we leave for Syracuse by plane with one connecting flight.
Friday(7/4) morning we drive 6 hours to see my family in Vermont. We’re staying at my brother’s house with his wife and my two nieces.
Saturday(7/5) we have a big get together with whatever family my Grandma manages to round up.
Sunday(7/6) afternoon we drive 6 hours back to Syracuse and meet Jess’ parents there.
Monday(7/7) morning Jess, Celeste, and Jess’ parents drive 9 hours to where her parents live. I stay in Syracuse to work. No, I’m not happy about my poor little girl making her first very lengthy car trip and adventure into another country without me, but, this is the way it works best for Jess. Otherwise, she’d have 3 days less time to spend in Canada.
Friday(7/11) morning I make the 4 hour drive to Toronto by way of Rochester, Buffalo, and, generally, taking my time taking photos. I hang out with Kim for the evening and spend time having as much fun as is allowed by law in Toronto.
Saturday(7/12) morning I make the 5 hour drive to where Jess and Celeste are.
Then we spend all most two full weeks at a summer camp on the lake in the middle of bear infested woods using an outhouse and generally lazing around and, for those who like that sort of thing, enjoying doing nothing or, for those who don’t, trying to find activities and adventures to occupy your time. Mobile phones barely work here and Internet access is unheard of so, connection to the outside world will be nearly non-existent.
Thursday(7/24) morning we make the 9 hour drive to upstate New York to see the other half of my family. We’ll either be staying in a hotel or with my Grandma, depending on who else comes up for the weekend and how well my Grandma is feeling.
Friday(7/25) we have a big get together with whatever family my mom manages to round up.
Saturday(7/26) afternoon we make the 4.5 hour drive back to Syracuse.
Sunday(7/27) morning we get on a plane back to DFW with one connecting flight.
Monday(7/28) I go back to work because I need to save my vacation time for a trip back to Canada for Christmas.
Yeah. We’re crazy. I know. I wanted to break it up into smaller trips and combine the time in New York and Vermont into one 4 day event in order to save on the travel time, but Jess gets more time in Canada this way, even if it makes the trips to see my family a little shorter and more hectic.