To Namaw's House We Go

Ah...the annual tradition of traveling for the holidays. I will be packing up Jayme and the kid to drive 400 some odd miles. So over the turnpike and through the middle of absolutely nowhere to Namaw's house we go (not to forget that Fafa's there too)

I thoroughly enjoy the time we spend at Namaw & Fafa's house. Mike and Sandy have always made me feel very welcome even before marriage when i was just some dude dating their daughter,

What I don't enjoy is the drive. Once past the King of Prussia exit from the turnpike the surrounding scenery become very repetitive. Seriously its like the background scenes from Scooby-Doo, Didn't  I just see that cow? You know you're bored on the road when you get excited to hit Carlisle,,,yeah Carlisle PA,,, So added to that regurgitated scenery of cow, cow, farm, cow is now tractor trailer.
I'm sure that Carlisle is a beautiful town to live and work in but it doesn't add much to see from the view out of the car window. The next most exciting thing...I'm sure you're riveted...wait for it...crossing the Susquehanna. Then I will say to Jayme, "Look its Three Mile Island," and she will say, "I think i see Deadpool on top of it"  Yes it's corny but it tradition now let us not speak of that mutant movie's name that I will not utter here. But I digress, so now Jayme, child and I have made through 4 hours and 15 minutes of turnpike madness. The end of the trip is nigh, my spirits rise but then fall instantly because there is still at least 45 more minutes of vehicular torture. Those last minutes drag and fell longer than the rest of the trip

I forgot to mention...how did I forget this...there's a 4 year old in the back. She will be equipped with an old iphone loaded with Disney movies and toddler games. So add to the joy of trekking the PA turnpike "Let it go" on repeat. Arrrghhh!!! Overall the kid is a good travel companion she entertains herself and we usually only have to make one extra stop along the way. But still she is a toddler and they are nothing if not fickle

So yeah at this point I feel like Frodo collapsed on Mt.Doom, (come on like you didn't see at least one mention of LOTR somewhere in a travel story) like him my mission not yet complete

But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Uniontown appears and the familiar site of the giant tire guy (WTF is that anyway) is a balm to my soul. We arrive at Namaw and Fafa's, the excitement pours from the kid and I begin the pack horse duties hauling the three quarters of our house we brought with us out of the car. Hugs and questions of the trip initiate, good food is offered and consumed greatfully (Thanks Namaw), and my favorite words are heard spoken from my father-in-law Mike (Fafa), "Hey Matt would you like a beer." Yes sir i would