Now, The Good Stuff That Happened on That Trip

 

My son moved to Joliet, Illinois last year for a job.  Well, it was time to move to a forever home, which seems to be Indianapolis, Indiana.  That was the purpose of the trip I took where all the flight problems occurred.  I was going to help him move.  That was why I had a schedule and that was why I had to get where I was going and didn't have days to figure it out.

That being said, I'd never been to my son's apartment in Joliet, and this was the first and only time I got to see with my own eyes where he'd been living.  He doesn't take pictures of everything like I do, and it was nice to see the area, the complex, and his apartment.  It was almost completely packed when I finally arrived, but I got to see everything.  For moms, things like that are important.

His complex was very nice.  There are several in Crest Hill, a section of Joliet.  The people in charge seemed nice.  The grounds were nice.  The amenities were nice.  It was good.  For the first time in a long time, I didn't worry so much about him.

Today, I want to talk about long distance moves.  They are travel after all.  I did one back in the 1990's and it was tough.  I won't lie.  This time for my son, I thought it best to look into hiring some help.  He did all the leg work on this one and I just came to help.  He found something that I can't recommend enough.

He rented a U-Haul.  We've all done that at some point or another.  But, what I didn't know was that you can create a hybrid instead of a true do it yourself.  My son rented the truck, which I agreed to drive the almost 200 miles to Indianapolis.  Then, he took part in a program that they have.

He arranged two helpers to come and load the heavy stuff and whatever necessary onto the truck.  They just came for two hours to help load.  The two gentlemen who came to help were amazing.  They were friendly, pleasant, and masters at loading a lot of stuff into a small moving truck.  It was all done before we knew it and we were ready to go.  

Once we were at the new apartment in Indianapolis, he'd arranged another duo to come and help unload it all.  They were also amazing and were done in less than an hour.  Once again, friendly and pleasant.  I was thrilled and amazed at how easy it all was.

Before I knew it, my son was in his new apartment in Indianapolis and this was his new view.  It's like living in a small town and it's in Indianapolis.  It's a great new spot.  It was an easy move.  The program that U-Haul has going was less than half the price of conventional movers and it was easy.

I did drive the truck almost 200 miles, but it was great.  We took some great roads.  Being from Indiana, there were several spots that were nostalgic to me like when we passed the exit for the road that goes right through my hometown. It was the most pleasant move I've ever done in my life.  That says a lot.  I've lived in a lot of places.

We were done so quickly, we had a day to spend together.  We checked out an amazing park, called Eagle Creek Park close to his new home.  We ran some errands and got some ice cream.  We went out for an evening of local racing.  We managed to have a visit even though we worked a lot.

I used to go to the Anderson Speedway when I was a teenager.  More nostalgia.  My son learned something new about my history, and I got to spend time with my only child.  It was worth the work.  It was worth the lying cheating Frontier Airlines debacle.  It was worth being stranded overnight by Delta.  It was worth the trains in Chicago.  It was worth it all to get to see how my son is doing and spend some quality time with him.  

It had been a long time since I'd been a houseguest too.  I forgot how much fun it is to crash on someone's super comfy sofa, stay up half the night visiting, and just hang out.  It was great and I hope to do it again, sooner instead of later.  I think my son really enjoyed it too.  Mother son time is great for both.

It didn't take long for the new apartment to look like a lived in home.  I went home feeling good about where he was.  I met the new people at the new apartment and the new job he started on Monday.  They all seemed very nice.  I will always take any excuse to see my son, but I think this one was good for both of us.  

We used to take mother son trips when he was growing up.  We started it very early on when he was four years old.  I miss those trips.  This was like a throwback to the mother son trips we used to take.  I loved it.  I'm so glad I went.  Nothing is better than seeing your child in a good place.

So, don't be afraid to go someplace new.  Give that U-Haul program a try, because it was fabulous.  Good job U-Haul!  The return was right around the corner from his new apartment too.  Could have walked from it.

Don't forget to check all your options with everything you do.  Don't let anyone tell you how to do things.  Don't let anyone tell you how to live.  Don't put up with people or companies trying to lie cheat and steal from you.  We only have one life to live, and we all need to do it the best we can.

Make sure you prioritize family and friends.  Work is nice, but it's not life.  Don't forget to live.  Don't forget to love.  Sometimes, no matter what happens, you just need to be there for someone you love, so pack your bags, go to them and enjoy!

https://www.uhaul.com/

https://andersonspeedway.com/

https://www.visitindy.com/

https://www.indy.gov/

https://downtownindy.org/

https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/

https://eaglecreekpark.org/

https://www.indy.gov/activity/about-eagle-creek-park

https://www.visitindy.com/listing/eagle-creek-park/5849/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g37209-d274124-Reviews-Eagle_Creek_Park-Indianapolis_Indiana.html

https://parks.indy.gov/parks/eagle-creek-park/