Each year Shelley and I travel to Kansas to attend the Officers of the First Division Annual Dinner. It’s been a tradition in the “Big Red One” since the end of WWI for those who served with the division in combat to gather together to record and honor the sacrifices made by its members. The WWI and most of the WWII veterans have passed on. The Vietnam ranks (1965-1970) are thinning and those of us in the First Gulf War (1990-1991) move a bit slower but have taken the helm to ensure the tradition of the dinner continues. Soon it will fall to those who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq during the counterinsurgency years to safeguard and carry on this important tradition. In the meantime, we love returning to “The Division” to renew friendships, talk about “how great we were,” and in somber moments remember those who did not return. It’s a wonderful time and I will be sure to report to you when we return.
Travel Fun: Trips like this are so refreshing to the soul. We love to drive to Kansas—all 1232 miles of it—in our car. It allows us flexibility for when and where we stop. We have our favorite haunts along the way. And taking a short stretch and walk is helpful. We talk, enjoy each other’s company while occasionally researching places along the way. Having a tablet is fun for that as well as researching restaurants we might want to visit. And of course, we love to keep track of the cost of gasoline along the route we take from Virginia through West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and finally arriving in Kansas. You guessed it. We do not refuel in Illinois. We often pick Corydon, Indiana as our overnight stop. A nice Hampton Inn with several good restaurants nearby. We also break up our trip by stopping in Kansas City, Missouri. The attraction there? Yep, daughter, her husband, and three delightful grandchildren. They are the highlight of the trip, the camaraderie of the Big Red One notwithstanding.
Beholding the Nation: The scenery between Virginia and Kansas is varied. All is majestic in its own way. Travelling down the Shenandoah Valley it is impossible not to marvel at the mountains, the pastures, and the rolling hills that dominate the valley floor. When you get to West Virginia, the view is interrupted by high mountains until you get to the splendid panorama that unfolds at Grand View. In Kentucky, we are always taken by the horse country. In Indiana and Illinois, it’s the fields and farms. The same is true of Missouri. But as you roll westward toward Kansas City, you get a glimpse of “the big sky.” It’s as if the world is opening up before your very eyes. But it’s a penultimate vision, only brought to full fruition when you traverse the Flint Hills of Kansas along the endless I-70 corridor. The big sky is, well, big. It dominates and you cannot escape how small you are when embraced by its expanse.
Vastness: As I look across the unmistakable vastness of the Kansas plains, interrupted by cities along the way, I imagine what it would be to live on a hilltop there. In my mind there’s a comfort in that sort of solitude. To be sure, I love the neighbors we have, both in Woodbridge and at “da Rivah.” But I sometimes think that a quiet existence would be a welcome one. Living in the Flint Hills would be just that. But for us, that would be without family. The vastness of a grandchild’s love surpasses the expanses of the Kansas plains, idyllic as it might be.
A Break from the Broken: I suppose there is one aspect of a long trip that brings much comfort. That’s the break we have from the troubles that beset the nation. Sure, we listen to the news along the way. We’re junkies. But we have the options to listen to music, podcasts, and just the silence slipping down the road. We can forget for a while the strife between ideologies. We can forego the turbulence of the stock market. We can set aside who has it right and who has it wrong on immigration, foreign wars, court cases, and whether or not Prince Harry will reconcile with King Charles. So many broken things. So gladly set aside for the chance to be with each other and simply enjoy that.
The Important Things: Long trips can be thinking trips. I will try to do that. And when it’s quiet along the way, I try to listen. Listen to God about important things. What should I do with what remains of my time here? And on that score, I think long trips are good for the soul.
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