Nine people. One RV. Fourteen days and three thousand miles
of desert and mountains.
Nope, it’s not the tagline of a Survivor episode, it’s
vacation with the Usticas! A family vacation like no other that began with a conversation
between my husband and my dad.
A fifteen-passenger van, hotels, and 44 hours of squishing?
Miserable!
An RV, hookups, and an onboard bathroom? Paradise!
Well, maybe not exactly paradise, but as vacations go, it
was high-quality! Our destination? SoCal of course!
In true Ustica style, we barrelled through the first
twenty-two hour leg, stopping only for gas or to switch drivers. Snacks and leg
room were abundant, but the generator (powering the AC) decided to overheat in
the middle of New Mexico. With a quart of oil and some hefty wind, it kept us on
the edge of cool until the temperature fell with the night.
Our first stop was the Mojave Desert (at 3 a.m. California
time) to see the stars and catch a wink or two.
At 6 a.m. local time, we boogied up to visit with my
parents’ old friends and set up camp riverside near Sequoia National Park. For
the next few days, we enjoyed beautiful scenery, cool weather, interesting
hikes, and devoured pounds of s’mores.
Our next stop was Ventura Beach, where we attempted to build
a sandcastle as the tide rose, gave up, and built an arch out of driftwood
instead. We got promptly sun-fried and gorged ourselves on s’mores.
After Ventura was Los Angeles and the various suburbs
within. We hit the highlights like Hollywood and downtown, along with many old
haunts from my parents’ bygone youth and my toddlerhood. We enjoyed dozens of
skunks and rabbits at our campsite and the incredible view from the top of
Mount Wilson on a clear night. When the s'mores ran out, we opted for ice cream
instead.
Driving back was a quieter experience, and the exhaustion
was palpable. We listened to 80s music and basked in our victory. We had
battled the elements, the RV, the roads, and the fuse of our collective
patience. And we had won.
I love that my family has the willpower and the tolerance to
pack into a vehicle and spend two weeks together. I am incredibly grateful to
have parents and siblings that care about me and want to maintain a
relationship with me and participate in my life. We’re a motley bunch of crazy
people, and we have our fair share of dysfunction, but the fact that we chose
this (and survived it!) is a testament to our bond and the grace of God that is
ever-present in our lives. My family has taught me so much over the years,
challenged and encouraged me in my walk with Christ, and prepared me for the
realities of adulthood. Especially as I prepare to move far away, I will
cherish these memories and thank God for the lessons I have learned as a
Ustica.