The beginning: A 1974 Yellow Opel

Written by OHmommy

Sunday, 06 July 2008 19:00

Twenty-five years ago, my parents bought their first car in America for $500 and we set off on our first family vacation for the banks of the Mississippi river. We were new to America and excited to explore it's vast beauty.

With a fist full of crisp bills, no hotel reservations, minimal understanding of English, no friends for guidance, and no camera to document our trip we took to the road paving our first memories of America, outside of Chicago's walls.

I was Jay's age and my memories of the trip are vague. There was a tire swing over the muddy Mississippi river. Our dusty highway motel had views of cows grazing in the meadows. We had a coffee machine in our room. I remember the taste of my first bag of salty American potato chips.

There was no parade. No fireworks. No fancy dinners. No pool. No friends.

Nevertheless, we always fondly reminisce about the cows in the meadow and the tire swing cast above the river. Today, we laugh about our unreliable 1974 yellow Opel that stalled at every corner and smile at how excited we were to be staying at a "real" motel.

Twenty-five years have passed.

Last week, I bought $500 worth of airplane tickets and set off to spend the 4th of July, in Chicago, with my parents. Armed with three credit cards, three children, a reservation to stay at my parent's house, and a professional grade camera we were ready to create some memories of our own.

There was a beautiful parade that threw out candy, water, and toys. We viewed fireworks from four different communities on my parent's private backyard beach. We had a fancy brunch at the Four Seasons where Fifi sipped her first orange juice from a crystal glass. And the pool.... my parent's backyard pool was used a dozen times a day; I could barely keep up with drying four swimsuits per each child. We were surrounded by friends and family whom my children politely passed out chocolates to during the party. "Would you like to try one of these?" They asked each person at the party before moving onto the next. They were so confident, so polished, so perfect after their two hour forced nap. I was so incredibly proud of them.

Our 1974 yellow Opel transported us to make our first memories of a 4th of July vacation in America. A Boeing 737 transported the kids and I to make our own 4th of July vacation memories.

So much has changed in twenty-five years.

But there is one thing that is the same. You can't move forward in life by staying still. If life is like riding a bicycle, my parents have been pedaling at Tour de France speed for 25 years. I see so much of that in my own children. Lola can't stay still, Jay is always thinking, and Fifi is no longer walking but running.

It makes me wonder what the next twenty-five years will bring us. An Opel. A Boeing. What will transport to our 4th of July family vacation in 2033? One thing is for sure, memories will be made.