The Great Gone with the Wind Road Trip (part 1)

THE GREAT GONE WITH THE WIND ROAD TRIP

Acknowledgements:

Susan for suggesting, planning and organizing the trip and for being a magnificent traveling companion.  Lance, Sara and Mark for their sacrifices in doing without me for 9 days (especially Sara who celebrated her birthday during my absence).  The Montgomery family for hosting the late-arriving travelers for 2 nights and providing entertainment (bagpipes and serenade), fresh eggs and a great breakfast!  Joe and Daniel for forgoing a Final Four trip, and for sacrificing Susan.  Margaret Mitchell for writing such a phenomenal novel!  Everyone else who made the trip successful and pleasurable. 

Preface: 

Natalie and Susan are first cousins whose age difference is 16 months.  Susan’s childhood is spent in Samoa, Utah and Idaho, and Natalie’s in Utah.  They occasionally see each other at family get-togethers but rarely spend much time together otherwise.  The cousins reach adulthood and live on opposite sides of the country—Natalie in Washington State and Susan in Washington, DC.  Ironically, Natalie’s husband has been Susan’s houseguest on 5 separate occasions—once with each of his 5 children.  Natalie has neither seen nor stayed at Susan’s home. 

Susan develops a great love for Gone with the Wind (in movie and book format) at a young age, and will see the film and read the book multiple times.  Natalie develops a great love for Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Homer Price, and The Great Brain books.  Her first experience with GWTW is watching the movie as a college student.  She was unimpressed.  (She fully realizes that her experience could have been jaded by her choice of date or an unfortunate incident with the homemade chocolate chip cookies she took to the theater.)

Natalie and Susan stay in touch through their family website and Facebook.  They play each other in computer word games.  Natalie sees photos of Susan’s fun adventures, and one particular set of photos catches her eye—Susan’s first GWTW road trip with her young niece.  Natalie reconsiders her vow to never read GWTW.

Natalie buys her own copy of GWTW, reads it and falls in love with Margaret Mitchell’s masterpiece.  Susan is not delusional after all.  Natalie shares her excitement with Susan.  Susan suggests a road trip similar to the one she took with her niece.  A window of opportunity presents itself, and the trip is arranged.

Chapter One:

In development; stay tuned . . .