Memories over Material Things
I like nice things. Always have. I wanted the best of the best. Softball gloves. Purses. Shoes. You name it, I had to have it. When Ben was born, I even made sure he wore monogrammed pajamas. Seriously. But somewhere along the line that all changed.
As a society we are constantly inundated with messages like buy this, buy that. It’s everywhere. But what happens when the thrill of that new, expensive purchase wears off? Time to buy something new. And then something newer. Most people associate happiness with large purchases. Hey – if buying a shiny, new whatever is going to make you happy then go for it. But when it comes time to make a big purchase or plan a trip that is something that I take very seriously. I work hard. Like 3 jobs hard to provide for my family and must keep a close eye on where my money is going.
I’m sure you’ve seen the saying, “Happiness comes from experiences not material things.” Right? So, I’ve decided to put that theory to the test.
Ben and I just got back from the most epic road trip of all-time. Boston to Philly to Chicago to South Bend and back! Ever since he watched Rudy, he’s been 100% Notre Dame. Despite his mother being a proud graduate of Seton Hall University. I guess it’s cool though. Seton Hall doesn’t have a football team steeped in tradition or one of the best hockey teams in the country. When we made the trip earlier this year to South Bend for the Winter Classic, Ben mentioned how cool it would be to watch a football game at Notre Dame Stadium. The wheels in my head started turning. How could I actually make that happen? It wasn’t until I received a random email from the ND ticket office in August that Ben’s dream of watching the Irish run through the tunnel became a reality. Limited tickets available for the November 23rd game vs. Boston College. WHAT? It took a little convincing from my cousin Emily, but I bought the tickets. I didn’t have any idea how we would get there but I knew I was going to make it happen!
Ben and I have been on road trips before but nothing like this. I spent two months mapping out our route and making secret arrangements, so I could surprise Ben. When I handed him the tickets earlier this week, it was all worth it. Despite being less than thrilled about missing a hockey game (How is my team going to score without me? Do you think they will even notice I’m gone?) the surprise was a huge success. Time to pack our bags and hit the road. Audiobooks. Movies. Word Searches. Podcasts. We are ready to go.
Stop #1 – Philly
Our dog, Sir Rocky Balboa of Gloucester, was named after the Rocky movies. It was a no-brainer to head to Philly first, run up the Rocky stairs and eat cheesesteaks at Pat’s. Welp. Ben got a hot dog. Oh well. No plan is perfect!
Stop #2 – Bridget and Dom’s House - South Plainfield, NJ
Kid now refuses to eat bagels anywhere else. It must be that delicious NJ water.
We spent the night at Bridget and Dom’s house in New Jersey. Why? We love them and NJ bagels. Check.
Stop #3 – Chicago
The plan was to get to Chicago earlier enough for dinner (Lou Malnati’s, obvi) but we got there later than expected. That didn’t stop us though. Lou Malnati’s DELIVERS! Score! 2 hours later we were eating delivery pizza in our hotel room right on the Magnificent Mile.
Ben is NOT a fan of deep dish.
Stop #4 – SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
I’m sure you are wondering, Jill, why did you drive right through Indiana to Chicago? Doh. Poor planning on my part. Kind of. Chicago is one of my favorite cities but US geography clearly isn’t one of my strong suits. Anyway – it’s GAME DAY. And it’s going to be a cold one. It’s actually an easy drive from Chicago to South Bend. South Bend is a special place. I don’t care who you are. I played (and lost) against Notre Dame in college but there is something magical about that place. The history. The tradition. The campus. Everything. We arrived on campus early enough to walk around and even scored some pretty sweet spots for the Player Walk. Watching the team enter the house that Rockne built through the North Tunnel gates was so cool! One Notre Dame blanket later and it was time for kick-off! Hearing the fight song, watching the crowd, playing catch on the Quad and watching ND crush BC is an experience I hope Ben never forgets. I know I won’t. It’s only a matter of time before spending this much time with his mom is not cool. Experiences reflect more on who you are then any object ever could. Sharing experiences and stories with others allows us to bond in a meaningful way.
I won’t bore you with the details of our ride home. Cleveland isn’t that exciting and driving home is never as exciting as driving there.
Another reason for this trip was to show Ben that there is life outside of Gloucester. I don’t want him to ever feel stuck here. I want to support his dreams and encourage him to think big. Hopefully when he went to school today he worked a little bit harder in ELA because he wants to wear that gold helmet someday.
