Tales from the Road Part 1

This is an old photo from an older snow storm. But the scene is identical to one we experienced last week. 

We had only reached Pojoaque and I was already thinking this was a terrible idea. Looking out from the car's windows, the scenery was blotted with millions and millions snow flakes. These flecks of cold and ice were rapidly collecting everywhere, especially on the roads. The roads were no longer roads but well-packed paths of snow, ice and slush. It made my dad shake his head, it caused other cars to flicker their taillights, which seemed to me to be a sign of panic. As we ventured through Santa Fe, police cars and fire trucks roamed the streets as if they were shepherds trying to keep the flock of steel and chrome in line and in order. Despite their efforts, we passed vehicles with torn edges, crunched sides and dented doors.
My sister, who was traveling ahead of us with her three kids, phoned our mom. Upon receiving her call, my mother moaned, "Oh no." My heart skipped a beat and sank into the darkest, lowest depths of my stomach. My sister called to report that the road conditions were horrendous and cars were performing dangerous waltzes that involved skidding, sliding and colliding into one another. That's it; I thought. It is ridiculous to continue. We all should turn around and go to our homes.
When you travel, you must accept that your decision to venture beyond home comes with a great deal risk. Trouble can rear up at any time and it is completely beyond your control. Planes can be missed, car tires can go flat, you can lose your money or passport, it can rain the entire time while you are on travel. The only thing you can control is how to respond to this trouble.
Faced with a great, big, heaping pile of trouble last week, my parents and sister bravely squared their shoulders and soldiered on. I may have been thinking like a  coward but I was smart enough to keep it to myself. Suggesting canceling a family vacation is cruel, even while driving through a blizzard.
For the past few years, my family has packed up and headed south to Florida right after the holidays. We would visit my mother's parents and even though my grandparents have passed away, the tradition continues. This year,  it was decided we would all spend the night in Albuquerque before  boarding our flight to Florida the next day.
What wasn't anticipated was the weather brewing up a blizzard that made for an agonizing drive. But this is a risk you take when you decide to leave home. Perhaps the one good thing that can come from experiencing trouble while on travel is that your arrival at your destination is all the more sweeter. When my sister arrived at the hotel in Albuquerque and called again, my mother reported Kim sounded like she had just lost 100 pounds. Inside my parents' car, we all seemed to be breathe a sigh of relief when the hotel came into view.
My mother commented that we were one obstacle down. Indeed; one hurtle was leapt over and who knew what, if any, trouble would be lurking around the corner.