Raodtrips are good. Roadtrips without the family are great! So in the spirit of It’s All About Me and to feel somewhat equitable compared to my wife’s trips back to Laguna every year, I made plans with my best friend from High School to escape to the beach.

The phone call went something like this:

[Paul] Hey Ron, I’ve got to get out of town and away from my crazy family. I need to go on a roadtrip, preferably somewhere warmer that has a beach. Want to head down to the Gulf?

[Ron] Yeah man.

[Paul] Great! When?

[Ron] Now.

[Paul] Uh, you serious?

[Ron] Almost

Needless to say, we both relished the thought of disappearing for a while with no spouse or kids. No offence to any of them, but sometimes you just need a break.

We did this quite a bit when we were younger.

In 1983 we headed out to Colorado to ski for a week.

In 1985 we spent Spring Break roaming the hills of Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina, rafting the river featured in the movie Deliverance, the Chattooga. And yes, the campsite was the location of the the infamous “Holy Shit” communion. If you don’t know the story, you haven’t been around us much…

“Holy Shit” Communion Campsite

Ron and his Love Bug

Paul and his Millenium Falcon

There were others throughout the course of history, including cross country visits once we started living on separate coasts. Even with families, we managed to see each other at least once a year. But it feels really good to be close enough to each other to do a road trip.

We talked bravely at the beginning, of not making plans, of sleeping on the beach, of walking in to a local bar and seeing if we could find someone with a couch to sleep on. But somehow the adventure of just getting away was enough for these old farts, so we ended up in a condo on Seagrove Beach.

As I drove down from Nashville, I started playing some of the music I listened to in High School. John Denver. Keith Green. Cat Stevens. I swear by the time we got to Florida, I was 20 years younger.

It was a great break from life, and I enjoyed taking a walk on the beach twice a day, soaking up the salt breeze, the sea birds, the lapping waves, and the sugar white sand.

I even spent a great sunset watching the locals skimboarding as the light faded.

However, in the end what made it great is what makes all these trips great: laughter, shared conversations, and friendship. Thanks Ron! And thanks to our wives and children who graciously gave us this time.

We haven’t aged a bit, have we?