Road Trip

          161-512-167-18-90-26-195-270. No, that’s not the mysterious numeric sequence from “Lost” or the Fibonacci code. It’s the numeric sequence of highways I take when I drive across the state to WSU where my kids are students. That’s where I was headed, so I loaded my car up with croissants, paper towels, and toilet paper from Costco, home-baked New York Crumb cake, odds and ends that they’d forgotten to take, and a shopping bag of goodies from a roommate’s mom. I packed my own bag, and made sure to load my I-Pod with music (especially an updated Zumba playlist) to keep me awake. Last, I stopped at the library to check out some audio books.

            There’s nothing like a road trip to lift my mood. Even though I was eastbound, the first song on my Road Songs playlist was “Southbound” by The Allman Brothers. It chugged along as I cruised along and merged onto Highway 18.

Up in Snoqualmie Pass I turned the music off so I could appreciate the view. So many times before, I cut the music off up there to fully concentrate on the road while driving through what seemed like a washing machine of rain. I was lucky this time, the temperature was 34°, no snow or rain, so I relaxed and soaked in the beauty.

In Ellensburg I stuck with our family’s tradition. I stopped and ate at McDonalds. It’s uncanny how many times we’ve run into people we know in that particular McDonalds in the center of Washington state. Once it was our cousins from Hawaii who called out to me. They were on their way to drop their kids off at the University of Idaho! But on this trip, no chance meetings, just a few minutes to eat,  stretch my legs, and text John and the kids that I was almost halfway to Pullman.

Why was I on this almost epic 5-1/2 hour, 300-mile journey that included city driving, mountain driving, and two-lanes-through-farmland driving? I was on my way to attend the Washington State University School of Music Festival of Contemporary Art Music Student Convocation. Both Johnny and Sarah were listed in the program. Johnny, the Music Composition major, composed two short pieces for piano. Sarah, the Music Performance major, was the pianist who performed them.

Throughout their childhoods, they watched each other perform at recitals and school music programs, but February 4, 2010 was a highpoint on their musical road. Sarah took the stage and adjusted the bench at the Fazioli grand piano as we all waited expectantly for the first notes. Johnny had confided beforehand that it was much more nerve-wracking to be performing than to be sitting in the audience as he was. She took a deep breath, and began playing the pieces with her exceptionally perceptive musicality. How had he heard all this in his head? How had he written it all down? After the last note was played, Sarah stood gracefully amidst the clapping, and extended her hand to acknowledge the composer, her big brother, searching for him in the audience. He rose from his seat and bowed to her and the audience.

The next day, I stopped to fill my car’s gas tank up for the return trip. I smiled. My heart was still full from Sarah and Johnny’s performance. That has lasted for the entire trip home and beyond.