the idea: if after 10 hours in the car, with 2 hours to go, you happen to see fireworks, stop to watch them

For the past two years I’ve gone to the Boston Pops Fireworks in the fourth of July.  It was an adventure each time, in 2011 I went with my first ever boyfriend who I hadn’t seen for many years and some of his friends.  We caught up, awkwardly acted like we were still 12, and then I missed the last T out of Boston to get to the house I was house-sitting at and had to get the Orange line to Malden and then take a $40 taxi ride.

In 2012 I went with my then boyfriend and we had a lovely, romantic evening.  Apart from the thunder warning and the evacuation measures, that is.  We decided to tough it out even though the overhead kept blaring that everyone had to leave and in the end that turned out to be a good idea.  Yes, we got a little bit wet, but we enjoyed each others company and when the fireworks came on we were in the perfect spot.

This year I was in Michigan and we watched the DC fireworks on TV in my grandparents living room.  They’re both 92 now and it’s hard for them to get around, so we all sat there and watched the show together, savoring the moments we had.  I had seen a few fireworks before I left from my house, but that was it.  Thankfully, as my mother, sister, and I were driving home, we drove right into a fireworks display.  We pulled off the highway for gas and all stood together, leaning against the rental car, the only people in the lot with a perfect view of the fireworks.

If we hadn’t stopped, we would have gotten home a little sooner, but this is one of those ideas that was more than worth the time.