Slice of Life Challenge - Mar. 1

Well, I'm going to try to join the Slice of Life Challenge again this year. If I stay true to form, I will get a few "slices" in a week, but I'm not sure I'll get a post up every day. However, I love that Ruth and Stacey at Two Writing Teachers host this. Thanks, ladies!

SOLC: Mar. 1 - This weekend my youngest daughter started her college spring break. She came home to very cold and snowy weather, but she was delighted that she, my husband, and I were immediately jumping in the car to travel to Washington D.C. to see her sister (our oldest daughter).

As we packed the car full of all the things necessary for a 7 hour car trip (one way) and a weekend in D.C., we were laughing, excited, and full of high expectations for the family weekend that lie ahead.

I was taken back to the many years of carpooling as we began our trip -- adults in the front seat, children chattering away in the back. My child may now be 19 years old, going on twenty-something, but give her the backseat, and she has a million things to tell us. I love that some things never change!

Over three hours into our drive, and the snow and wind really started to pick up, and the interstate became slightly treacherous. Instead of trying to drive all the way through to D.C., we decided to stop at the nearest hotel for the night. We got off at one of the exits in Morgantown, West Virginia, and chose to get something to eat first.

As we sat in our booth at the restaurant, relaxed and thrilled to be off the road, we noticed a group of young people about our daughter's age sit down at the booth behind us. We couldn't help but overhear their conversation with the waitress. They told her that they were stranded on their way home to Maryland because Interstate 68 had been closed. OMG! That was our road. We were filled with mixed emotions -- delight that we got off before we were sitting in traffic due to the closure, and worry that the road might not be reopened tomorrow morning when we are ready to get to our other daughter.

For now, we are resigned to the "whatever happens, happens" mantra. We are in our hotel room, sharing some fun moments with our youngest, biding our time until bedtime. We watched last night's Survivor episode on our daugher's computer, my husband has now found a basketball game on the television, I have found a wifi connection and am doing some online wandering, and our youngest has decided to avail herself of the fitness room downstairs.

We're inside, we've been fed, and we have shelter for the night. For that, I feel fortunate. We'll see what tomorrow will bring.