Seven, Eleven, or Doubles

"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware." - Martin Buber

Two weeks ago my mom and dad took my brother, sister and I on what was aptly named: "The Mystery Trip." They made all of the plans and we were to dutifully follow without knowing what our next adventure would be. Normally a control freak, I surprised myself at how easy it was for me to give up being in charge. It was so much fun to merely go through the motions, just soaking in every minute and not having to worry about or plan the next.

We began our journey on a Saturday morning. We were allotted one guest for the trip. My brother chose his good friend Danny and my sister brought along her friend Ashtyne. I asked my boyfriend to join us on the journey, but he declined because of work obligations (or so I thought).

We pulled out of the driveway around noon. Like always, we said three speedy Hail Marys for a safe trip. We ended up in Marblehead, OH, at The Lighthouse Resort at around three in the afternoon. The hotel sat right on Lake Erie. The rides at Cedar Point could be seen at a distance to the east even through all the rain. We unloaded our luggage, had a snack and were informed that our next journey would be around 5:30 pm. We were to be ready to be outside for a couple hours.

At around 6, a man named Joe picked us up in a large black van with no seating except for a few loose coolers. He drove us to a dock, where we boarded Joe's 37 foot sailboat, The Serenity. We spent the next 3 hours sailing/tumbling around Lake Erie. It was a rather choppy day. While I did my best to enjoy the ride, I spent most of my energy trying to keep my cookies un-tossed. Here are some shots I took on the boat:

After the boat ride it was time for a little dinner and bed. We were told that our next adventure required us to be up, dressed and packed by 9 am the next morning. The boat ride got to me the worst and after a brief stint over the bathroom sink, I hit the sheets and was out cold.

As we've aged, we've begun to follow directions much more willingly. We were all right on schedule and I was brushing my teeth in my parents room when my boyfriend, Chris, walked in the door. Him and my mom had planned the whole thing. It was sooooo sneaky! I gave him a big hug and then ran to the bathroom to spit out my toothpaste. My brother was in the shower and by habit, I turned the light out when I left. He was screaming for a good while before I realized I left him in the dark. OOPS!

We all loaded up the van and drove down the road to attend Mass. It was a Catholic church of the Byzantine rite. The whole Mass was sung in English, the sign of the cross was done right to left instead of left to right, and Communion began as levened bread and was soaked in the wine and served with a spoon.

After Mass, we went out by the water to take a family picture:

Then, we drove to the ferry dock, drove the van right on the boat and made our way to Kelleys Island. Kelleys is a 4 square mile island with 387 permanent residents. It was absolutely beautiful. We were all starving upon arrival so we went straight to The Casino, which was a bar and grille on the water. Lake Erie is known for being the walleye capitol of the world, but nobody ordered any.

We rented two golf carts as our mode of transportation for the weekend and then caravanned to our home for the next 24 hours - a 3 bedroom condo with a full kitchen and balcony overlooking the water. There was a pool on the water side and bicycles available for check out. We spent the rest of the day and night just relaxing by the pool, taking golf cart and bike rides around the island, and enjoying each other before my departure.

When I get to Seoul, most of my fellow teachers will have been in the country for a good amount of time. They will, obviously, know way more about things to see and do then I will. The "Mystery Trip" was excellent practice for me to hand over the control and just follow. Following leaves a significant amount more time for observation, reflection, and pleasure. Be sure to remind me of this if it sounds like I have forgotten to follow along the way!

We had a little going away party for me at my parents' house last night. It was so nice to see everyone one last time before I leave! My crafty Aunt Kelly was kind enough to make me a cake. Look how cool it is:

Sorry I haven't updated lately, I've been busy running around giving hugs and saying my good byes. I leave Monday for my big adventure! Three Hail Marys for a safe trip!