Day 4 - 2010 Christmas Escape

Yes. YESSSSS. This is camping the way we like it! Waking up to this view! Ahhhh, I love it when Daddy gets that timid smile on his face. Sure sign of a special moment.

So, what’s up for today? Really, what’s up for today??? Not sure? No? Maybe just a little bit of family vacation? Like, you know, a full plate of family vacation. I’m ready. This is Luc.

We are marking Day 4 of our 2010 Christmas Escape! Our voyage to Key West in a 30 foot rental. A 30 foot trailer. With wheels. Our new home! This is just so exciting. I can’t stop falling over my own words.

Today the weather is breaking even more for us! Nothing but sunshine!! And warmer temperatures!!! Yeah!!!! We are in Florida. And we are not stopping here. But there is so much to do. Me and my sis and my little bro jump out of the trailer! IT’S PLAYTIME! What do you wanna do? Don’t know. Let’s climb that tree. Ok, let’s climb that tree….

This place is so neat. All this stuff on the ground, in the bushes, in the trees. Hey Lya! Do you wanna help me build a bird’s nest?

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Sure!

My sis and me easily spent an hour collecting branches, grass, and as much of this hanging stuff as we can get our hands on to build a wonderful bird’s nest. I truly hope that a bird has come by now and settled down in the nest that we built so carefully.

When I turn around I see Mommy disappearing in the distance heading off on her run. A small cloud of sand dust dancing behind her, desperately trying to catch up. She is so right! It’s time for some morning exercise. Anyone up for a bike ride? Daddy?!!!

Lya decides its time to break in her bike. Forget that silly hook-up bike from yesterday. Today I ride!!! Daddy gets to take Mommy’s bike, and Len is just as happy in his bike seat as always.

We make it past the fishing dock and halfway down the campground, and what do we find?

A PLAYGROUND! YESSSS! A P L A Y G R O U N D!!! Man, if this place doesn’t have it all! Len keeps on his helmet for good measure as Daddy starts chasing us around the structures, slides, benches and swings. Who can swing the highest??? We take off our jackets as the sun starts warming us more and more. Daddy even gets a moment here and there to kick back on a bench and just let life be life.

When we make it back to our camper Mommy’s back from her run with such joy and happiness in her smile. She can’t stop telling Daddy about this trail that she just ran on. About how it looped back and forth, left and right, through a maze of bushes and small trees. How it was a trail that was creating itself in front of her, step after step. Sand under her shoes, sun shining through the branches, little critters rushing away here and there. A bird or two flies up into the sky, circling around, checking out this running creature floating by on borrowed time. The sound of the waves crushing onto the beach lingering on. Never fading, always penetrating. And then one more turn. The bushes and trees disappear completely, the path straightens out, and the beach stretches ahead endlessly – inviting the runner to keep going indefinitely. Apparently the run of a lifetime!

Fortunately for us Mommy didn’t get caught in an endless loop, but made her way back to the trailer. She’s asking, practically begging Daddy to go run it, too – but there will have to be another time, we still need to bake cookies and get ready for the continuation of our travels! And yes, there is never a wrong time for a quick game of soccer. For a moment we contemplate our friends back home, and decide to film a short movie for my sister’s best friend Katie. Here you go Katie: This one is for you. We love you and miss you:

Now before we leave this here campground and make our way further down south, the moment has finally arrived that Daddy has been mentally preparing himself for over the last 4 days. It has become time to? Time to? Yes! You have guessed it! It has become time to D U M P. Ahh, the joys of driving your own house around! Where does all that poop end up going? Well? Of course, there is a tank! A septic tank so to speak. And since it is not unlimited in size, the time has now come to connect hoses and open valves and stand there and watch – and listen. Daddy? Did everything come out yet??? Yup, A-A is draussen!!! Puhhh weeeee, time to open the gray water tank and give everything a good and final flush.

Ok, now – how do I get these latex gloves off, and where to put them? Ahh, trash can. Good! Let’s go Daddy, let’s leave this here dumping station behind us and get rolling….

Off we are….windows rolled down….Daddy is driving in a T-Shirt, sunglasses, the warm wind blowing in his face. This is December the way we like it.

As we drive through little towns and harbors, over small bridges and past boats and fishermen the vacation feeling begins to settle in more clearly. Yup – I think we are all successfully broken in! Into our little adventure. Ready to press onward!

The drive is pretty uneventful. We decide to pick West Palm Beach as our next destination. We are still hungry for some more beaches, and figured West Palm Beach would be a good place to continue this quest. It turns out to be a little complicated to locate a campground near the beach, but we finally settle on this trailer resort in Jupiter, just north of West Palm Beach. It’s about as far as we are willing to venture to travel today. We make a reservation over the phone, and everything is set up for a late arrival, in case we don’t make it before nightfall. Nothing like being prepared, because none of us really want to end up driving around desperately looking for a place to settle down for the evening, and then ending up in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

L I T T L E - D I D - WE - K N O W !

Unfortunately we don’t make it before it gets dark, but we do good finding the entrance to the trailer park. Excuse me, pardon me, the trailer resort!

But as we drive in, stop at the front office (which was closed) pick up our registration envelope and start driving towards our spot, we, inadvertently keep rubbing our eyes. Daddy?!? Is this a parking lot? Daddy, why are all these trailers so neat. Ohhh! Look Out! Someone is walking their poodle!!! As we make it closer and closer to our spot, things are becoming quite clearer! This is a parking lot. Not so much a Wal-Mart parking lot, but if Parkplace were a parking lot, we are pretty sure this is what it would look like. Daddy is in the zone as he parks the trailer first this way, then this way, then the other, then turns it around, then moves it forward, then moves it backward. OK DAD! I think everyone knows now that we are here!!!!!!! Remind me to get him a T-Shirt that reads: Don’t mind me. I’m new to THIS!!!

But boy are we glad to finally be outside of this camper. And it continues to be warm! We do endless loops around the camper. Even though we keep lapping Len, he is having just as much fun as we are. Mommy offers to prepare dinner as we all put on our headlamps and go for a stroll through Monopoly land. This place is amazing, or hysterical, startling, wondrous, neat and perfectly clean. Weird? Yup. Weird also. Just like in a regular suburban neighborhood this guy here and there tries to outdo the other with his Christmas decoration. Some need a big fat car in front of their camper, only for someone else to put an even more expensive one in front of theirs. And although most of the sites have turned their trailers and campers into permanent homes that will never see the road again, there are many many unbelievably huge motorhomes to be found, too. Wait?!!! I think I hear an alarm system going off somewhere….

Can we go back to our camper now, Daddy? But Daddy wants to spice up our little nightwalk and asks us to turn off our headlamps. We stand there in the darkness and allow our eyes to adjust for a second. And then he leads us right through the backyard of this Ueber-Motorhome in order to shortcut back to our camper. Ok. I don’t think anyone saw us. Cool.

We get to eat outside at the picnic table next to the camper. Since it is still early we decide to go for an evening walk. Perhaps there is a store in the area we can walk to, or maybe even the beach??? But since things don’t always work out the way we want them to, and since little boys also need to be little boys sometimes, well, we kind of end up in a little disagreement. Yup, I know I’m six years old. But don’t you think this burden of having to write the entire vacation report is weighing a little heavy on me???? What do you mean you are not going to chase me around this parking lot???? What do you mean you want me to come over there???? But I want to be over here!!!! What do you mean I can’t be over here???? Can’t you see that I am over here???? I’m not going over there!!! What are Daddy and Lya doing??? Where are they going??? You are chasing me around the parking lot!!! See!!! I told you!!!! Ohh? Why is Daddy coming back?

?

Well – this is where the Teams split up. Me and Daddy make it back to the camper. And Mommy, Lya and Len go looking for a store and the beach by themselves. I tell you. I’m probably pretty lucky that my folks have some sense about them, because my Daddy didn’t really say much, or do much for that matter when we got back to the camper. We just kind of got ready for bed. We talked about how nice it would have been if we all could be together right now, instead of all split up and one of us really not listening at all. And you know, it made sense. Nuff said. Let’s try again tomorrow. I love you, Daddy.

But before we could fall asleep the rest of the gang made it back, and boy did they have a funny story to tell. Apparently Daddy had given Mommy some cash before we split up, in case they wanted to buy something. So, Mommy didn’t pay much attention to how much Daddy had given here, not until they were standing at the Publix Cashier – trying to check out with their assortment of goods. Let me see, what did they have: A box of cookies, a candy bar, a loaf of bread, a roll of toilet paper, diapers and a bag of chips. You sure you don’t want a six-pack with that, ma’am??? Little Len on her arm, crazy hair Lya standing on her side – everyone not really washed up from the days activities. Ok, ma’am, that’ll be $ 15.43! Ooops, but I only have, lemme see, whats all this total. $ 6.12. Mmmm, fuck it. I’ll just take the cookies and the candy bar then. Boy, can’t wait to get a hold of that husband of mine. Handing me nothing but a stack of ones. Very funny.

Good night everyone. See you again on Day 5.

Day 3 - 2010 Christmas Escape

Little Talbot Island, Florida.

I didn’t have school today! And I won’t have school tomorrow either! I think it’s about time I catch up with my reporting and post this here Day 3 of our Christmas adventure. We are in Little Talbot Island, Florida. The part of getting to Florida was achieved as quickly as desired!!!

Here back home in Chapel Hill the world outside today has been quite crazy. 2,000 flights cancelled in Atlanta last night, RDU completely closed this morning. All because of snow and ice that has shut down the entire triangle school system. I’m being told that it all goes back to a very bad experience for teachers and parents about 6 years ago (2003?) when thousands of kids got stranded at their schools as panicked parents tried to get to the schools and pick them up because of early closings. This resulted in total Mayhem as the entire area had turned into an ice rink because of freezing rain.

What I struggle to understand though, is why Daddy is the only one that went to work this morning, and all the other kids had their Dads at home today? Was it the 19 operators that were at the plant working the 12-hour night shift that needed to go home, or was it the 28 employees that showed up this morning and kept the plant going? Maybe it was the visitor from Germany that also showed up at 8:00 in the morning? This guy brought us some German coffee for my favorite German pediatrician and some Haferflocken for Lya. Mmmm, I think I’ll go with that. That’s a long way for such a delivery. He probably would have been disappointed if he had shown up to a shut down plant this morning.

Ok! It’s time to move back in time, because: WOW!!! We are in the jungle!!!!!!

This campsite is amazing. Granted it was a little freaky last night, but once we started the fire and making s’mores, it was all good. Daddy and I had checked out the bathrooms on another little night walk, and we decided to skip the shortcuts through the woods – it just seemed a little spooky at night – who knew where we would have ended up........

Everything was much better this morning. We played hide and seek and the best part was when I was hiding with Lya and she peeked up like a mouse, standing on her tippi toes to look over a big bush, just as Daddy comes walking by. The expression on my sister’s face was priceless. It was so hard to stop laughing as Daddy kept making the same expression on his face over and over again. Daddy!!! What did Lya look like???? Do it again!!! Please!!!!! Do it again, Daddy!!!

But now it was time for a bike ride! Yeah!!! The first of many on this trip. So happy we brought the bikes!

There was supposed to be a nature trail that we could go on. So we started out looking for it. Len was with Mom on her bike, Lya on the hook-up bike with Dad, and me on my own bike. The sandy roads on the campground were a little tricky to navigate, but soon we were on a path that took us back to the Ranger Station. We all had agreed to stay a second night in this cool place – after all we had done quite a bit of driving over the last two days. So we checked with the Rangers and they happily accommodated us with our wishes. Then one of the Rangers pointed out the path we could continue on to make it to the beach.

At the thought of getting to the beach it only took us a minute to remount and off we are riding through quite an elaborate network of sand dunes. We stop at one of the rest areas and realize that we essentially have the entire park to ourselves. THERE IS NOBODY ELSE HERE!!! A little bit surprising on such a nice day…

We continue further on until we get to the end of the road from where a wooden deck takes us through the dunes and onto the beach!!! T H E B E A C H ! ! ! We jump of our bikes and start digging and building a little sand castle. Oh, what joy! Especially Len just can’t stop digging. Mommy and Daddy stand on the beach, soaking in the beautiful scenery and sound from the ocean. We have taken possession of the first beach on our trip. This beach is now unofficially ours!!!

Eventually we decide to ride our bikes on the beach on our way back to the campground. When we take a short break Lya forgets about the cold and starts chasing her shadow. But it turns out impossible to catch up with it. But it sure looked like fun trying.

When we make it back to the campground we start hanging out at the small fishing dock. It’s low tide and we start building yet another castle right below the fishing dock. We keep calling it the mud castle although it is just a mixture of wet and sand. Since the material is excellent for building this turns into an afternoon filling activity.

While we are there Daddy starts eyeing another campsite, that he would prefer for the evening. When we later leave to go grocery shopping we stop at the Ranger Station once more and again, they happily agree to have us stay on site 24 tonight. Daddy is all smiles!!! Nicely done. These guys are our best friends by now.

We head north to make our way to the nearest grocery store. To everyone’s excitement it’s a Harris Teeter and my sister’s and mine eyes start seeing free sugar cookies and balloons! We were not disappointed. Mommy and Daddy stock up on supplies, and we’re back on the road to move in to our new campsite.

Mommy’s on the phone when there is a loud bump! KATCHUNK!!! Only Daddy gets some wrinkles on his forehead. In the beginning I’m not so sure why he keeps looking into the rearview mirrors, but then I see it, too. One of the storage doors is open!!! One quick look back and forth between me and my Dad, and it’s clear. THE TOOLBOX!!! THAT’S WHERE WE KEEP THE TOOLBOX!!! Emergency breaks and Daddy pulls off to the side into the middle of a construction site. Mommy is still on the phone and is beginning to get some wrinkles on her forehead, too. Daddy is already out the door and starts jogging north. It was probably only 30 seconds since we heard the loud KATCHUNK!!! – but pay attention next time how far you can drive in 30 seconds. Really. Daddy disappears out of our field of vision and is gone behind the last traffic circle that we just had come through. He keeps on running, wondering what he will find? He starts smiling as he gets to the next traffic circle and sees car after car go around a tool box on the side of the road with half its tools spread all over the road. And what’s that man doing? He’s picking everything up! Wow!!! That’s mighty nice of him. Not sure if he was expecting my Dad, but they continue to pick up all the pieces together and then Daddy makes his way back to us! Guess we will lock the storage doors next time before we start driving again. Good thing we didn’t loose anything. The hatchet for cutting up the firewood is also kept in the toolbox. That would have been a major disappointment later in the evening. But no loss besides a broken latch on the toolbox! That could have been much much worse!!! Thank God, the Toolbox didn’t fall on top of a squirrel. Who knows what would have happened then???

We get back to the campground and park on our new site as the sun is already setting again. Not much time elapses until dinner is ready. Veggie Burgers!!! And we are back around the campfire making s’mores again for the second time on our trip!!!

Can’t wait to wake up tomorrow morning. Our journey will continue. We are not in the Keys yet!!!

Day 2 - 2010 Christmas Escape

It’s me! I’m Luc. I’m awake! Did I sleep in a 30 ft camper last night?

You got that right, buddy. It’s Day #2, and I think the drizzling rain outside is reminding us that we are onto something. We need to get further south, and we need to do it F A S T! ! !

But, let’s not forget about personal hygiene. Although I am only six years of age you must know that I take personal hygiene very seriously! To put it into another language: “Mama, AA ist draussen!” This is our favorite household staple, and even Daddy enjoys using it. It’s applicable whenever someone has gone to the bathroom, has done a #2 job, and now it’s time to wipe and call for help. You can come up with your own translation, although feel free to use above expression. ;-)

Daddy and me are up for showers first, and it’s actually a lot of fun to walk over to the little shower house and stand under the stream of wonderfully hot water. Lya and Mommy are next, as Daddy and me start kicking around the soccer ball with Len.

There’s a caboose turned trailer on the campground that we get to check out from the outside, it’s sooOOOOO R E D. We throw some rocks in the lake at the hope of getting an alligator to come out, but you already guessed it: No such luck.

Mommy is busy with doing something inside of our new home, Daddy and me kick the soccer ball some more, and THEN , F I N A L L Y its time to drive on. Before we check out we top off the propane, just in case we have to battle some more cool nights, but we are pretty set on making it fahhhrrrrrr today! We are not called the Farers for nothing!!!

Daddy is driving again and we start studying the map as we start heading out of town. Daddy is really bent on stopping in Savannah - must have something to do with the audiobook Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil that he has listened to; I’m not so sure why he won’t let me listen to it? BUT, It’s a beautiful drive off the beaten I-95 path on the wonderful US 17 Savannah Hwy. To be highly recommended for sure! We get there in no time, but are still happy that we stopped in Charleston when everybody was still coherent and sane the night before.

Just before getting into town Mommy presents the results of her latest detailed study “How to get to Florida the fastest possible way!!!”. Apparently there is a town called Jacksonville in Florida, that is just across the border from Georgia (the State we have just driven into). But then again, Jacksonville is a little far for our drive today, so we start searching for campsites in the uppermost northern part of Florida. A friend had recommended the Iphone App “All Stays. Camp & RV” which popped out Little Talbot Island State Park! A quick look at the website and some reviews have us hooked in no time. We call up the State Ranger, and even though the Park closes a dusk or 5:00 pm, he promises us to stay until 6:30 pm in case we can’t make it earlier. Wow? Nice guy. Daddy takes a look at the websites, too, and is completely hooked just as we pull the camper into an amazingly convenient parking spot right smack in the middle of town. Think about that one for a second. We are talking 30 ft camper with four bikes on the back trailer! This is not so hard after all?!?

The beautiful white church shown in the above picture is very close to our parking spot and we are sure to not miss the camper when we will head back to it, as we will only have to listen for the beautiful chimes constantly coming of its bells. Somewhat of a Christmas flair is in the air, as the bells seem to be playing Christmas songs.

We run into two police officers and ask them for directions to an ice cream shop. It’s absolutely picture perfect! First they both look at each other, then they look at us, two adults and three kids, with eyes wide open in anticipation of a great ice cream treat. Then one points down one direction of the street, while simultaneously the other one points in the complete opposite direction.

Really? That way?X?

Nothing a group laugh won’t fix quickly. Then it’s easily decided that the one in the Movie Theater uptown will probably be the better choice. Two street crossings later we made it and the crazed for sugar fix is being put in place.

Daddy seems to be doing a lot of math in his head. Not sure why he keeps doing double takes at his watch and then finally saying: “We gotta get a move on if we want to make it to Little Talbot Island before 6:30”.

Off we are! Never mind sightseeing in Savannah! The ice cream was great! But we got places to be!

This time Mommy gets the wheel! Somehow it seems we start driving at the speed limit, or maybe even slightly above it??? Mommy??? How fast are you going? 70 mph! Wow!!! Mommy, what’s the speed limit? 70 mph! Mommy, how fast are you going….

Mom and Dad are both a little confused that the motorhome will actually hold his own in traffic just like any care trying to make up some time on a long drive. I guess that’s why the Truckers don’t mind going into the left lane time and time again?

Daddy gets on the phone to verify the Ranger will wait for us. The Ranger starts trying a little bit of a diversion technique (Don’t you folks want to go to Fernandina Beach instead?) – but Daddy pays little attention to what he is saying: “ So if we get there by 6:30 on the dot – you will still be there right?”

It’s a State Park after all, so the Ranger didn’t have too many encouraging words to say about being there at 6:30 on the dot, and Mommy’s foot just gets a little heavier.

Honey? Do you think we should stop for gas before we get to the Campground???? Mmmm, let me see. ¼ tank left? We can probably make it…..time ticks on……miles slip away….the tank gets emptier….but with modern technology at our fingertips we have a pretty good idea where exactly we are located and how much longer it will take to get to our destination. Later in the trip Mommy will mention how happy she is that she didn’t have to do this trip in a time before GPSs were available to the masses. So true. Lya and me especially love the friendly voice when it says: “You have reached your destination.” But not yet!

Time to leave I-95. Current Time 6:05 pm. Looks pretty good. Maybe we can even get some gas before we get there? Do you want to stop at this one, Hon? Nahhh, let’s make sure we get to the park first……6:11 and only 4 miles to go! What about that gas station? Ok, let’s get some before we run empty! And isn’t it great! Mommy picks up free Mustard from the store in those little FastFood Chain packets – these people are nice! We may have to fill up here, when we leave again? The Mustard will be great on our VeggieDogs tonight!

When we pull up to the ranger station at about 6:20 pm, in complete darkness, with our 30 ft Monster, the three rangers already have a pretty good idea of who it is! But they are all smiles. The ranger giving us the instructions is super nice and makes us feel at home with a very warm welcome. We get an access code to a gate on the other side of the street where the campground is located and a final warning: Watch out for the overhanging trees! Do not turn right on the dirt road, and don’t drive around in this darkness. Please go straight to your campsite!

Well, sir. You won’t have to tell us twice!

It’s an amazing drive into a jungle of trees, trees and more trees. It almost seems out of another time. When are the dinosaurs going to come out?

Mommy, do they really have Dinosaurs here?

Of course they don’t, or do they?

Mommy starts making the dogs, and Daddy starts preparing the first campfire of the trip. Needless to say he is quite the specialist, and before we know it we have happy tummies and are holding the F I R S T s’mores in our hands.

We are off to a good start! We all look at each other and remember the moment back in the camper when we were all high fiving each other as we were crossing the state line to Florida.

To Florida in less than 2 days! Yeah!

Day 0 & Day 1 - Christmas Escape 2010

Ok, people. I’m back! It’s me. Luc. Storyteller Extraordinaire. Back again! It’s been so long – but hopefully the wait has been worth it! I’m about to take you on our journey that took us from Chapel Hill to Key West and back. Two weeks traveling in nothing less than a REAL motorhome!

I don’t really know how I ended up with this assignment. I’m not even sure why we don’t have pictures from the first day (except for the one above). But it all started with my crazy parents, especially my Mom, exploring the idea of renting a motorhome and escaping the cold NC temperatures over Christmas by heading towards Florida.

Florida? Mmmm, says my Dad. I remember Florida. Many moons ago I went to High School in St. Petersburg for my Junior and Senior year. Sure, I wouldn’t mind getting back to Florida.

Florida? Florriiiddddddaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa? That F L O R I D A? says my little sis Lya. I have a friend who lives in Florida. Mommy, doesn’t Bridget live in Florida?

Daddy? Can we go to Florida for Christmas?

Yo, Killer! Remember the name of that company that you rented that motorhome from when you went to that festival three years ago? Cruise America? Sounds right, let’s check Google….

So, in a moment of weakness and close cuddling Mommy enticed Daddy to make a reservation and we were S E T!!!!

Pick up: Saturday, December 18^th in Durham…..boy….an endless wait, but finally that last week rolls around. Daddy’s got Friday off work already (good man!!!!), and we are just lounging around on the couch as some goofy NC winter weather is brewing outside.

Anyone wanna pick up the camper now???

YYYeeesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!

What a grand idea that was! It was so exciting to learn about all the things on that 30 ft monster. Oh, it comes with a generator? You can run it while driving? So this means we can run the espresso machine while we are cruising down the road??? I hear someone say: Exactly. Cafe Latte anyone?

Cool.

Propane. Water. Microwave. Toilet. Shower. Table and Highbeds all included.

Don’t worry about the interior too much, says the agent. It’s totally kid friendly and we are not going to fuss about a stain or two on the sofa. This guy is cool. Is this the fold out sofa he is talking about? Man. Can we sleep in the Camper tonight????

Well. In the end Mommy and Daddy did an excellent job transferring most (if not all!!!) of our house into this mobile home in all the time a Friday night has available…I heard someone dragging their feet upstairs around 2:00 am or so. Did we bring everything? Nope. Later we will find out that we forgot the toaster! Oops.

Day 1

It’s Saturday and we A R E READY TO G O ! ! !

A few of our friends stop by in the morning to get a peek inside of our new home. All the kids love the high beds just as much as I do. If we could only be up there while driving. But no such luck. Apparently this new home has some rules, too. Daddy? Daddy, are u sure? ;-) Sure? Really sure?

Ah well. Off we are to one last stop at the local grocery store. Someone else we know easily spots us. One last chat and we are on the road to Charleston!

I-95 here we come!

This first drive is really pretty uneventful. Along the way we call the KOA in Charleston and make a reservation for a FULL HOOK up. Wow! We are gonna get hooked up tonight!!!

We get there as night has already begun to fall. They got some cool Christmas blow up decoration. Lya, Daddy and me have a ball running back and forth from Santa to the Alligator to Santa to the Alligator to Santa to the Alligator to Santa and so on…. I don’t remember how many hundred times.

It’s finally time to go to sleep in our new home and our new beds!

This is going to be awesome!