I can’t promise I’ll try,
but I’ll try to try.
—Bart Simpson
Saturday, March 21, 5:30 a.m.
DAY 1
On the plane
It’s only 5:30 in the morning, and I’m already seated on a plane. I’m dressed and fed. I’ve driven the hour it takes to get from Faraway to the airport in Mobile, then checked my bag, gone through security, and boarded the plane, where I’m now sitting in a middle seat between my two younger sisters. In my opinion, one might wonder why the oldest of three siblings didn’t get the aisle or a window seat.
Here’s the unfortunate answer: The grown-ups who booked these first-thing-in-the-morning flights didn’t think through the consequences of waking up young humans at 3:45 a.m. to make these flights. May and June have been cranky and fighting since we got up this morning. So now, I’m stuck in a middle seat because Mom put me here to separate them.
Wheels up in thirty. Not quite the start I’d hoped for.
10:00 a.m.
Atlanta airport, food court
We’re almost two hours into our three-hour layover in the Atlanta airport, and I’m amazed at what I’ve learned since we’ve been here.
One: In addition to coffee, bagels, biscuits, eggs, and pretty much any other food that has ever been classified as a breakfast offering, at the Atlanta airport, you can also purchase a sandwich, pizza, barbecue, Chinese food, frozen yogurt, and fried chicken all before ten in the morning. Also, the calorie content of many of these foods is not only high but also readily available. I know this because June looked at every food vendor we’ve passed to see if they post how many calories are in their menu options, and then she’d make an announcement about the most calorie-rich food on the menu.
Two: Charlotte and Izzy had the stomach flu all week, and they almost didn’t come on the trip. No one was supposed to know they’d been sick. But everyone found out when we got to the food court, because Charlotte asked Aunt Lila if she and Izzy could have fried chicken for breakfast or if it would hurt their stomachs.
Then she announced to the group that she wanted to know because she and Izzy had been sick, and the only things they’d been allowed to eat were rice, apples, crackers, and bananas.
When she started to describe their symptoms, which were pretty disgusting to listen to, Izzy reminded Charlotte that they weren’t supposed to tell anyone they’d been sick. Everyone looked at Aunt Lila, who clearly had been the one to instruct them to keep that information secret. She said the girls have been well since Thursday and aren’t contagious. Honestly, I’m not so sure. They both look a little pale and sickly to me.
Three: Amanda’s boyfriend of three weeks broke up with her. I learned this when we got to the food court, and Aunt Lilly asked Amanda what she was going to eat, and Amanda said nothing. When Aunt Lilly said she had to eat something, Amanda reminded her that she’s on a partial hunger strike. It is apparently making her very irritable, because when she found out Charlotte and Izzy had been sick, she told them both that if she spends the week puking, she’d going to take them to the top of the tallest, snowiest mountain and leave them on it.
When she said that, Gaga hugged Charlotte and Izzy and said, “Over my dead body!” Pretty much everyone except for Gaga looked horrified when she said it. Gaga actually laughed like she appreciated the irony of her statement.
Aunt Lilly clearly didn’t. She took Amanda by the arm and led her away from the group. She gave her what Gaga calls “a good old-fashioned talking to.” And she didn’t do it quietly. I heard every word Aunt Lilly said (as did many other people in the Atlanta airport, including Gaga). She told Amanda that she shouldn’t have to remind her that we should all be on our best behavior around Gaga and only say positive things to her so we don’t upset her. I know she wants the trip to be as easy and pleasant as possible for Gaga. I respect that, but I personally don’t think talks like the one Aunt Lilly gave Amanda make the trip all that pleasant. Not that anyone asked Gaga, but if they did, I’m sure she would have agreed.
Four: Harry thinks Gaga should be allowed to say whatever she wants to say. Even things like, “Over my dead body!” When Aunt Lilly finished her talk with Amanda, Harry told his mother that over my dead body is just an expression and that she shouldn’t get bent out of shape about the fact that Gaga said it.
That prompted Gaga to weigh in. “Just because I have cancer doesn’t mean you can’t be honest with me,” Gaga said. She said it to the whole group but looked at Aunt Lilly as she spoke.
“Mom, you’re the one who started the Happiness Movement. You’re the one who always talks about how important it is to be positive,” said Aunt Lilly.
“That’s true,” said Gaga. “I do believe in happiness and positivity, but it’s important to be realistic and accept what you can’t change.”
I’m not sure if that counts as one of the things I’ve learned in the airport. I think I probably already knew it. But Aunt Lilly and Gaga continued talking about it for the rest of the layover, so at the very least, I can say that it was clearly reinforced.
Five: Emma and Sophie aren’t getting along as well as they usually do, and I’m beginning to wonder if it has something to do with why Sophie has been in a funk.
They had what seemed like a really stupid argument over Starbucks. Emma, who had gotten in line, got Sophie a vanilla Frappuccino. When she gave it to her, Sophie said it wasn’t what she ordered.
“I asked for an Americano with steamed soy,” Sophie said to Emma. Honestly, Sophie sounded uncharacteristically bratty when she said it. Then, when Emma apologized for getting the wrong drink and said that Sophie always gets a vanilla Frappuccino, Sophie said, “Oh my God. You don’t ever listen to what I want.”
It was pretty clear they weren’t just discussing coffee.
Six: My horoscope for the week is bad. June, who has been into reading horoscopes lately, told me that mine said the upcoming week is a bad time for me to travel. It kind of freaked me out, since traveling is exactly what I’m doing this week. Plus, I couldn’t help but think about the fortune cookies we got. Dad’s fortune about traveling came true. Mine said rain was coming my way, and the next day I found out my grandmother is dying of cancer. I said a quick prayer for horoscopes to be a lot less accurate than fortune-cookie fortunes.
Seven: Last but not least, I learned that the ski conditions in Park City are excellent. The mountains are covered in fresh snow. While we’re there, it’s going to be clear and sunny, with temperatures in the low thirties during the days, dropping into the twenties at night. Uncle Drew was the one who gave us that weather forecast. He isn’t a big talker, but he loves following the weather and always makes it his mission to make sure anyone who goes anywhere with him is fully aware of atmospheric conditions.
When Uncle Drew gave us the weather report, I told Gaga how excited I am to get to Park City and see the snow-covered mountains. As soon as I said it, I felt kind of bad. I wanted her to know I was excited, but not for the reason behind the trip. “What I meant to say is that I’m excited to go on the trip but that I wish it were under different conditions.”
Gaga laughed. “The ski conditions are excellent. What more could you want?”
I frowned. Gaga knew I meant her condition. She wrapped her arm around me. “No need to be a drama queen. Just enjoy the trip. Deal?”
“Deal,” I said.
Aunt Lilly just told us all to pack it up. It’s time to go to our gate. To be continued . . . mountainside.
9:02 p.m., Park City time
(11:02 p.m., Faraway time)
In bed
It has been a very long day, starting at 3:45 a.m. Faraway time, which is 1:45 a.m. Park City time, which means I’ve been awake for . . . way too long. If I weren’t so tired, I’d do the math to figure out just how long that is. At least we’re here.
We landed in Salt Lake City this afternoon, and of the twenty-four bags we checked, only one was lost, and it belonged to Amanda. She was going on and on in the airport about how bad things always happen to her—boyfriends break up with her, airlines lose her luggage. Gaga reminded Amanda there are worse things, which shut Amanda up. The good news is that the airline found her bag and delivered it to our condo tonight.
After we got our bags, we rented two giant vans and drove to our condo in Park City. As we drove through the mountains on the way to Park City, I couldn’t believe how huge and beautiful they were. It was even more incredible than seeing them from the plane.
Our condo is awesome. When Gaga saw it, she said she’s happy that it’s even nicer than the pictures she saw online. Then she said we should all thank Willy for that. Apparently, he spent days looking for just the right place.
Once we’d unpacked and settled in, Mom, Aunt Lilly, Aunt Lila, and Gaga went to the grocery store to get food and supplies. The dads and kids went to rent boots and skis, which was harder than it sounds. I’ve never tried on ski boots before. “These are the most uncomfortable things I’ve ever had on my feet,” I said to Fritz, the guy who was helping us with the fitting.
He smiled. “You’ll get used to them,” he said. “Walk around inside for five to ten minutes. They’ll feel awkward at first, but you’re good as long as there aren’t any uncomfortable pressure points.”
“Why does your name tag say ‘Bend, Oregon’ on it?” June asked Fritz.
Fritz smiled. “That’s where I’m from. The people who work here come from all over the world,” Fritz explained. “We think it’s interesting for our guests to see where we’re from.”
“I agree,” said June, nodding like she approved.
Fritz laughed then got back to boots and skis. He had everyone walk around in ski boots.
“Your boots need to be snug,” said Fritz. “Make sure your heel stays in place when you bend your knees and lean forward against your boots.”
“Huh?” I was completely confused.
“Your boot connects you to your skis,” said Fritz. “If you have too much wiggle room in your boot, your skis won’t respond properly to your movements. Does that make sense?” he asked.
“Not really,” I said.
Fritz adjusted the settings on my boots and told me I was good to go.
When we got back to the condo, the moms had dinner ready. We ate Caesar salad and spaghetti and meatballs. I don’t know if it was the cold mountain air or if I was just hungry from a long day of travel, but everything tasted particularly delicious. After dinner, Gaga asked if anyone wanted to stay up and watch Frozen with her.
“We do!” said Charlotte like she was speaking on behalf of her sister and herself.
“That’s our favorite movie,” said Izzy.
Aunt Lila told them it was too late and that they needed to go to bed so they’d be fresh and ready to ski tomorrow. When Aunt Lila said that, Izzy pointed to Gaga. “She has cancer. Shouldn’t she go to bed too?”
“Izzy!” said Aunt Lilly.
But that didn’t stop Izzy. She looked at Gaga. “You said you have cancer, but you’re not acting like it.”
Aunt Lilly looked horrified. I knew she thought the words had come out of her niece’s mouth were completely unacceptable, but Gaga laughed. “How do you think someone who has cancer should act?” Gaga asked Izzy.
“I don’t know,” said Izzy.
“Neither do I,” said Gaga. “So I’m just going to keep acting the way I’ve always acted.” She gave Izzy a big hug.
Amanda, Sophie, and I went to the room we’re sharing, and Sophie has still been quiet as we’ve been settling in. But Aunt Lilly just came in and told us it’s lights out in five.
Tomorrow we hit the slopes, which I’m sure will be fun. For now, all I can think about is one thing . . .
Sleep!