Summer Vacation January 22, 2003 - 10:01 a.m.

While I was still in school, I had a yearly vacation to Florida for the summer. This is where my Dad and Grandparents live. Well, lived. My grandmother died when I was 15. My grandfather still lives there though. As well as my dad and his wife. Coincidentally, the year that I met my sister (who was only 3 months old at the time) was also the first year that I went to Florida and didn't have my Grandmother there. Both of whom are[were] named Mary. Luckily, my grandmother was able to see my sister before dying. I even have the pictures of the two of them together.

Fast forward to 1998. I'm 19, a year out of high school already, with nothing to show for it. My first boyfriend and I had just split up after a year and a half, I had quit working at Warner Bros and my first cat died... all around the same time. I'm in dire need of an escape. So my dad and stepmom send me a ticket, and I'm off to Florida for a few months.

Most of the summer was a blur. The summers usually are really. Typically my time is spent watching the kids while the grown-ups are at work, watching random movies on cable, and random visits with family members. All of this filled with occasional trips to the beach or amusement parks.

This year in particular, we went to Universal Studios. I received many stares throughout the day. Granted, I believe these stares stemmed from my outfit. It's not often that someone goes to spend an entire day at a theme park in the middle of summer (especially in Florida) while wearing all black, combat boots, pantyhose and a short skirt.

It was lots of fun. We 'rode the movies' as their logo suggests. In fact, my sister, who was only four at the time, thought all of the rides were quite real.

We flew through E.T.'s planet, on bikes. Crashed around in a DeLorean while traveling Back to the Future. Sat through an Earthquake in the Subway. Rode around New York City while King Kong was having a hissy fit, having him pick up our trolley or whatever and shake us like a baby with a rattle. He has very hot breath, by the way. We were in the very front of the car and he was breathing right on us. Jaws tried to bite us, but he was far quicker in the movies. We were only splashed from his attempts. Watched the Universal Monsters perform a show. Saw Terminator 2 3D. Had pictures taken with Scooby Doo. Etc, etc.

The next day we went to the movies. Everyone in the entire world had seen Titanic. Everyone, of course, but me. So my stepmom took the kids and I to see it, despite them having seen it already.

The movie was starting. The deep sea exploring had begun. Gail, my stepmom, ran to get some refreshments while I watched the film.

A minute or two into it, as they're underwater, my sister looks up at me.

"Sissy...."

Bottom lip slightly sticking out. Chin quivering. Eyes watering. She looks me straight in the eye and with all certainty in the world and continues....

"I don't wanna ride this ride."

I think it was the cutest thing I'd seen in a long, long time. Who could blame her? We had spent the day prior 'riding the movies', afterall.

Many people, myself included, would love to have the freedom and innocence from youth. But we don't realize that with it, comes the fear and naivety.

You can't simply have a good thing. There has to be something to balance the good. Also true with bad though. Not everything can be bad. When something bad happens, something good is only moments away to keep the fates aligned.

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