Ineffable
- Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.
Sitting back in the car watching the endless road approach the family van and pass by us before vanishing back into infinity behind us. I remember fragments of said family vacations like little notes to myself for when I get older is how I think about it. Little kid me thinks to himself “Hey, this is a great idea for a vacation” or “Wow this is insane, I hope I can remember this when I’m older”.
I remember driving from where we lived in Missouri to all the way out to Colorado, all the way out to Wyoming, all the way out to South Carolina. From sea to shining sea I remember brief memories from all of these different places we have been. I think present me needs to pass notes on to older me before I forget the spark notes of my life.
Dear older me,
The places we’ve been, the places we’ve seen. Do you remember riding in the family van at the time all the way to Colorado? This was the first place you ever skied and you were so excited to try it! Going up and down the bunny hills a million times until you nailed it down to an art. After getting down your pizza and french fry technique (pizza to slow down, french fry to speed up) and then getting to go down a couple green hills and then eventually a blue which was outlandish to you to even try! But, when you put your mind to it, you could do it!
Do you remember Wyoming, the place where buffaloes marched and hot geysers sprayed up from their dormant states? Wyoming was part of a bigger trip than you often don’t remember from the notes you left as a kid, you actually went to several places such as Minnesota to South Dakota then to Wyoming. It was your first and only time dune buggy riding in Minnesota where the hills and dunes of sand where bigger than life. Thinking back I remember younger me thinking that we were just about to fly off the hill straight into the stars. From Minnesota to South Dakota losing some clothes along the way (the carrier on top of the family van flew open and all of our clothes were scattered over I-90 West). Then after losing some clothes and creating a memory along the way you made it to South Dakota where you got to see Mount Rushmore and learn about the history of the men who got to spend their days blowing up rock with TNT as a living! After spending a couple nights in South Dakota we left and went to our final stop at Yellowstone, Wyoming. Along the way we stopped and got to see real life cowboys take on unbelievable feats with their horses and take on bulls with their rope. After all the traveling we stopped at our final destination which was Yellowstone Park. Yellowstone was amazing, your kid self reminds you to take your own kids there some day! From seeing ineffable views such as the geysers erupting before your eyes, to mountain lions eyeing everything below on the ridges of the mountaintop, to stampedes of what seemed to be millions of buffaloes marching their way out of the hills and onto the street below (mostly remembering you being in awe of said buffalo as everyone else was angry about the inconvenience they created). It was amazing, we can leave it at that.
One more adventure I want you to remember older me. Another family trip but this time it was for a wedding. A wedding all the way out in South Carolina, a family trip that brought your whole father’s side of the family together. We all rented a house and made it fit for 15 whole people. Remember having a pool right in your back yard and also being extremely close to the beach. Everyone was having a fun time dancing, singing karaoke, making fools of themselves. Even your grandma was there, Doris, who at the time was beginning to show signs of a battle with Alzheimer’s that taught you the importance of memory. The reason you are sitting at your desk right now writing this to yourself. Older me, I hope you take notes. Not a diary necessarily but just writing stuff down from day to day as a way to keep your memories intact and from fading into the distance like the road on a long, long highway.
Sincerely,
Younger you.