Road Trip Fun: Trip to Chicago!

Last weekend, my daughter and I traveled with my mom and aunt to Chicago to attend a funeral. There is nothing like a road trip!

We left Saturday morning after I made sure I had all of my responsibilities covered.  Because my daughter was with us, it was necessary that we stop for bathroom breaks. So, we got there a little later than we would have if she was asleep.  Once we checked into the hotel, we got a bite to eat and prepared for bed.

Jireh: Did you bring my bonnet?

Me: Awww man.  I forgot.  I am so sorry.

Jireh: (sits quietly and then gives me the side eye) But you brought yours.

I felt so bad, but I was tickled at the same time! Yes, I have a very athletic diva on my hands!

The next morning, we had breakfast while enjoying family from St. Louis who happened to be in Chicago at the same time. After breakfast, we did a little shopping before getting dressed for the funeral.

The service itself was very moving.  It's a wonderful thing when EVERYONE has positive things to say about the deceased. Even his ex-wife's current husband was crying! That's just how awesome of a man he was.

The fact that he was my mom's first cousin on her dad's side and that he'd been married to her first cousin on her mom's side means we encountered A LOT of family at and after the service. Even my paternal grandfather and an aunt stopped by to pay their condolences before the service began.

Once everyone left the funeral home, my dad came to pick up Jireh and me.  We grabbed some White Castle before we went downtown for a bit of sight seeing. And of course, I could not leave Chicago without Chicago-style popcorn!

It used to be where we'd hear that family members would be coming to visit, and we'd have them to bring popcorn and penny cookies. A few years ago, we decided to grow up and stop asking for cookies in favor of bacon from GFS, which my mom's mother started bringing us. So, Monday morning before we hit the road, I grabbed a pack of that and put it in adequate storage for travel.

We ran into a lot of road construction, which made me tired.  But I forced myself to stay awake just to capture video of the windmills in Indiana.

Eventually, we stopped in Kentucky for fuel and ran into our cousins who had gone to the funeral and were traveling back to Georgia. We sat and talked with them a good 15-30 minutes before getting back on the road.

All in all, it was a short but action-packed trip.  As much as I hated to lose my cousin and to see my family in pain, it was still good to be able to see that much family in just a few days.  I look forward to my next road trip.  Who knows where I'll turn up next?!?!