The Good Ole' Days

Jeff Salz once said, ~The most exotic destinations of all is the one to be found within your own adventurous spirit--after you've put yourself to the test and found hidden reserves of creativity, resourcefulness, and perseverance.~ Working in the asylum, especially during the summer, you get to go on many road trips that not not only the kids get to look forward to, but the also the employees as well. I can safely say that on certain road trips one can have an extra kick in his or her step because quite frankly being stuck inside all day will actually make a person go absolutely mad. While on these normal as can be road trips, one finds yourself in a crazy situation somewhat like being in a National Lampoon's movie.

Personally speaking, there have been many memorable road trips that have happened over the past several summers; but one particular trip sticks out in my mind occurred a couple years ago. *Flashback sequence and before I start, keep in mind that it was an extremely hot day which will be relevant later on.* It started as a normal day, but as soon as I walked through the hallowed doors the craziness would start to unfold. Have you ever had that feeling something was going to happen but you didn't know what? For it was when I stepped through the front doors I was asked to go with another group on a road trip, which was fine with me because my group was in doors all day so I welcomed the invitation.

As we pulled off, I would unknowingly have the ride of my life, so to speak, as we set forth to our intended destination, which was a train museum. Thirty minutes into the trip we got lost and at one point made several U-turns in the middle of traffic. It was somewhat embarrassing as cars behind us and in the other lanes were looking at us seeing that there were two vans that were doing this which made it doubly embarrassing. Consequently, we stopped at three gas stations and me being a sarcastic person said, 'If we end up in Canada, drop me off at the border, so I can call a cab and then meet you there.' We eventually made our intended destination and all was thankfully well.

Now remember in the beginning I said it was extremely hot, well I wasn't really dressed for going to a road trip and after 20 minutes there, I was soaking wet from sweat. Due to the fact that I was wearing jeans and a kinda heavy shirt. Now imagine this, my jeans hiked up above my knees and my shirt sleeves rolled up kinda like The Fonz from Happy Days. So I can honestly say, I looked like a complete dork. To make matters even more discomforting the kids kept on hanging me on as myself and my fellow co-workers were trying to feel for some cool air that was flowing around the open area in the outdoor train museum. To make a long story short, I lost several pounds due to being in that sauna type environment.

The road trip ended with everybody getting ice cream which was a good ending for an unforgettable trip. Oh did I forget to mention, a possible hit and run of a public park tree that was witnessed by several people? The kids kept asking us "Are we going to get arrested?" My response was no; but I said a silent prayer just in case. Over the past 8 summers, that right there tops my list, but that could change it all depends on how this summer goes. In the end, when I take a look back at the good ole' days and consider all the road trips that I've been a part of, I realize it's not just a job; in my opinion, it's an adventure.