Marti hates road trips, and anything longer than an hour in a car for her is road trip.
Having lived significant parts of my life in both Los Angeles and San Francisco, I have made the trip between these two cities hundreds of times. It’s a five to seven hour drive depending on the actual distance and time of day. I can practically make this trip in my sleep. To me, it’s a half-day trip. It’s nothing. Not for Marti. When we were first married, we had to make this trip. It took us three days, two nights. She requires stops for meals, shopping, sightseeing, potty breaks, antiquing … anything to break up the time in the car.
Life is a lot like this. As they say, we are here today; gone tomorrow. Seventy years seems to be about our allotted time on this planet, and the closer you get to the end of that, the shorter it seems. You could say all along about this life that you were almost home, but the key is: What are you making of the journey?
When I make the trip between San Francisco and L.A. in a few hours, the time disappears. It’s down time – nothing time. I’m not really expecting anything more out of this time than getting there. When Marti makes this trip, it’s like the trip disappears. Time is spent seeing and doing. Memories are made, as in, “Remember when we stopped there?”
Almost home is a way of focusing not on the shortness of life, but on the value of living. Something is to be said for Marti’s approach to road trips – to make them almost nonexistent – to make it so that all the while you go you are almost home, but living life on the way. As Christians, we believe we have an ultimate destination that makes this life a road trip. Now you can sit in the car, make the fewest stops possible, and try to make the time between disappear. That’s almost home, but with the emphasis on “home.”
Or you can turn you focus to the trip. What is the journey like? What is along the way? What can we do along the way while we are here? How can we make it better for those around us? This is being almost home but with the focus on the “almost.”
We revisited this trip this weekend to attend a wedding in Carmel Valley and we are currently on our way home. We were originally going to be home last night, but one stop led to another and here we are again, turning a half-day trip into two. I can honestly say this morning that we are almost home. We will be almost home most of the day. We will be almost home until we actually get there, which should be some time today, but then again…
John Fischer The Catch 
Had a good LOL over Marti’s way of traveling! Most people w/ her personality type, which is a high ‘I’ also do that too, yet they tend to want to or try to make life a fun journey out a lot of things..
PS let me plz ask the Catch group 4 prayer, i have an imporant business decison i’ll have to make this coming Wendesday, the 15th and i want/need to led by God in it and i’ll thx everyone in advance that cud plz whisper a pray 4 my guidence… 🙂
You’ve got it, Mark!
I can count on two hands+, the times my life trip home went into warp drive. To have said “I should have died” enough to be able to have long coversation or put in a boreing book. It seems that each near death encounters allow me a reference to where and when I was on this trip home. Between them are many good memories, some sad times and relevent character shaping. The farther in the rear view mirror I see things, I tend to think less of the “I wish that hadn’t happened”, and think more “OK whats next”.
We are with Marti on this one! The coast has so much to see along the way…and my wife loves the antiquing as well. Make it an experience she won’t forget by encouraging her to enjoy herself. Married now for 49 years we will tell you these are priceless moments.
Skip and Carol
There is something here on Earth, in our everyday lives we are to be, see, do, know. Why else would our amazing and omnipotent God put us on this planet rather than just create us already home? If we spend our time here not having been, seen, done, or known, I believe we are being awfully arrogant in the face of our God, who gave us this extraordinary gift!
Beautifully put, Suzan. I may just have to use this!
And that is what makes you a good husband, John. You allow Marti to BE Marti.
I agree, Lois. John could say “no” to making all the stops along the way, but instead, he gives in and says “yes”. As Dean Martin sang, “Memories Are Made of This”.
I was smiling right along with Mark about Marti’s approach. When given the chance,
I tend to be right in there with her!