trip journal

Lori’s 48^th and 49^th

Left hotel in St. Paul a little late.

Pushed the speed limit.

Arrived at the dock of Lake Express
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

as last passengers boarded

the high-speed ferry.

Sat behind a young family, a baby

and a toddler who stared

between the seats as I smiled.

Made it to the bathroom feeling drunk

as I tottered and grabbed onto seatbacks

meeting other passengers unexpectedly.

Lori had to go outside for air.

I stayed in and as the waves tossed us about,

I prayed she wouldn’t fall overboard.

The kids got sick.

Made it to Muskegon, Michigan.

Now, Lori has matched my 49 states.

We will go to Hawaii someday to make 50.

Realized the time had changed.

We didn’t have the hour we thought,

so I got some tea and we got back on the boat.

The wind and waves tossed us about.

Lori went out again, but came back in pale.

She used the well-stocked barf bags.

I breathed in as the waves went up

and breathed out as the waves went down.

I never have gotten seasick.

But this trip I joined in.

At one point, all conversation ceased.

The only sound, the rocking of the boat,

and people puking.

Puke Express docked twenty minutes late.

Lori and waited until we were last in line

because when we puke we pee.

We drove to the place where we

had ordered Indian food online.

Real Indian food

from a Pakistani neighborhood.

I went into the restaurant

where the women wore hijabs

and the men stared.

As I walked out I wondered

if they thought I was so frightened

I peed my pants.

Back to the motel.

Too sick to eat the spicy food.

Stayed up till two writing

and turning in a college assignment.

Long day.  

Lori said it was worth it to get her two states.

I’ll just chalk it up to experience.