“6 people get in a minivan and drive up a mountain….”
That (half)sentence sounds like the beginning of a bad, groan-inducing, head-shaking joke, but really it’s the beginning of a good, laugh-inducing, head-shaking story. It all started when my family of 6 decided to get in our ancient minivan and head up to the mountains on Saturday.
The little excursion was well-intentioned; the sky was blue and cloudless and I had just come back from taking the ACT. My parents wanted to push us tech-dependent children out into the wild and have a bit of fun before the school year really hits. So off we went, through one-street towns, beside placid lakes that looked unnaturally green and still, and over roads that were tilted as well as curved. TILTED.
Anyway, then we entered the National Park and slowly wound up the mountainside towards a flower-filled area rightfully called Paradise. By then, we had been in the car for about an hour and half, and ready to stretch our legs a little. In the last half-mile or so, the car began struggling. It shuddered its way around the bend towards the parking lot, making awful noises anytime it was asked to go up the slightest incline.
Now, I mentioned before that this minivan was ancient, and that’s only a slight exaggeration. It’s 19 years old. Ancient. Having it break down was not terribly new to us. We managed to splutter into a parking spot and quickly kill the engine. My father had to stay behind and figure out how to get us off the mountain while the rest of us wandered our way up the steep mountain meadow trails. I may put some photos up another time, but all in all the scenery was beautiful and the light exercise revitalizing. I found myself feeling quite alive by the time we came back down. Unfortunately, our minivan didn’t share my sentiment.
So how did we get home, exactly? On the bed of an hour-late towtruck. We sat in our poor minivan as it was hooked onto the towtruck. Sitting on the tilted bed was not unlike the initial ascent of a rollercoaster.
Despite the unexpected circumstances, I enjoyed the trip. After all, look at all the things I got to do for the first time!
- Go to Paradise
- Get within 7 ft. of a deer
- Almost trip about 100 times as I tried to avoid stepping on the grasshoppers
- Ride in a minivan. On top of a towtruck.
- Roll down a mountain in the pitch black
Plans are good and all, but true adventure can come only when something goes ‘wrong’
The Good, Bad, and Otherwise 