A Special Delivery

Well, we're on the road again. This time we've rented a car for the last leg of our journey, that will take us across the United States of America, to Buffalo and home.
After landing in LA, we spent five days on the scenic Pacific Coast highway, enjoying our last few days of ocean air. It was a great time filled with anxiety about meeting Holly and Robyn in San Francisco. Waiting in the airport terminal I was giddy to say the least! Then, there they were...let the good times roll.
During our 8 day vacation together, Holly asked if my next blog would be about their visit. Knowing I'd be on the road, I told her it would be tough...maybe she could do it?
And so not even 24 hours after she got home, Holly had sent me a blog. (Damn! If only could pump 'em out that fast...I am also responsible for it taking so long to be posted! I do recall Holly clenching her jaw when I'd start a 12-page essay for a Uni course, the night before it was due.
So here it is...and I couldn't have captured it better myself. 

When Renee told me her and Aran were thinking about taking off for a year to see the world, I have to admit I had mixed emotions. I was proud, I was scared, and I was sad and happy all at once. I knew that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I knew the timing was perfect. They have the means, they have no kids…yet (yes I still have hope), and they both wanted it more than anything. Part of me wondered how I’d manage without her. If you know us O’Drowsky’s, you know we’re not only sisters, we’re best friends. What if I needed her? What if I needed to vent, to cry? How would I get in touch? What if she needed me? I wondered if we could ever be the same with so much distance between us.   

I still remember the way she looked at me when she told me they were going for it…we were sitting in The Cornerstone downtown and she asked my opinion about it all.  But I know now she wasn’t looking for my approval or my blessing. She already knew I’d have her back no matter what.  This was just her way of easing me into it, and I realized at that moment, for sure there would be no backing out, no changing their minds.  They were off to see the world.
 

Naturally, as soon as they left, we were trying to figure out where we could meet up with them. We talked about Vietnam, Hawaii, and finally settled on California, or more broadly put by Robyn, we settled on ‘Murca.  After eleven months of separation from a sibling, you can imagine the excitement we felt when we finally booked those flights. And so the countdown began.  I think the month it took from booking to leaving, actually felt longer than the entire eleven months themselves! 

After surviving a ridiculous ordeal at the Toronto airport, a “scary” landing in San Fran, we breezed out into the Arrivals gate; somehow bypassing Baggage Claim, (you can see we aren’t seasoned travelers), where I immediately noticed a tall, dark and (yes Aran I’m saying it), handsome man waiting there for us. I said to Robyn, “Is that Aran? Has he lost like 20 pounds?!”.  Not long after we saw Rennie, hidden by the crowds of people, her much longer and lighter hair, curly and lovely. They looked so good, so happy and I was ecstatic to put my arms around them both, after so long. 

We spent four amazing days exploring the streets of San Francisco.  We saw Coit Tower, we walked, and walked, and walked some more.  We took every form of Muni transportation available. We biked across the Golden Gate Bridge to the beautiful little town of Sausalito, and then ferried our way back. We toured AT&T stadium, home of the Giants. We braved the metro into Oakland to see the Athletics take on

the Red Sox. We met Quinte Sangria, wine merchant at the Ferry Tower.  We drove the steep and winding roads to Muir Woods, for a lovely Sunday hike. Robyn noted that she’d exercised more in 3 days, than she had in the month of June ha ha.  It’s to be expected with these two! The last half of our trip we stayed in a cozy little cottage in Santa Rosa, with a pool, two cute dogs to keep us company and all the comforts of home.  This was definitely when the true vacation began.  Santa Rosa brought us lazy days by the pool, shopping (Aran and I could do some serious damage together in a mall), night markets, frozen yogurt, Pilates, and drunken game nights.  We took a day to explore Sonoma and Napa, and Aran graciously

offered to drive as the three of us got day drunk at several wine tastings.  Words cannot describe and pictures don’t really capture the beauty of California wine country. We were blown away by the views, the rolling hills, the massive estates and gorgeous wineries the area boasted.   Everyday was great. And everyday I woke up thinking; we’re all together and just knowing both my beautiful sisters and my “big brother” were there, I felt calm, and extremely happy.
I’ll never listen to Go Your Own Way again without thinking of our hilariously fun road trip down the Silverado Trail as we belted out every word in unison (with some goat sounds thrown in for good fun).  I’ll never pass another Macy’s without giggling to myself about a cute and helpful lady we met on our first day. I’ll always smile reliving our newly coined phrases like ‘Murca, Getcha Gotcha, and Kettle Corn, Kettle Corn!  We created so many memories in 8 days. I will never forget this trip and all the fun we had together.  And without a doubt my favourite part of the trip entirely, was the laughter, laughing so hard my stomach hurt, laughing so hard we cried.
Before leaving for California, I asked myself “I wonder how they’ll have changed”, and aside from being much more knowledgeable about traveling, and more patient (with the world and each other), they are the still the same Rennie and Aran that left us almost a year ago. Obviously they still have their spats (all couples do), but they come together like a well oiled machine. They are a team. They look at each other and you know how much love is between them. You know they are the best of friends and they will always have each others back. 

And the next time, maybe in a few years, when Renee sits me down at With the Grain or Red Brick and tells me they are doing it all again, some repeat countries, some new adventures, I’ll smile and tell her to go for it, and this time without hesitation. Because I know she’s made of tough stuff, because I know she’s that much more experienced, because she’ll once again have her best friend by her side, and because I’ve learned, no amount of time and space could ever change the relationship we share.