Published: June 27, 2008 09:26 am            

Big Apple Countdown — #8

Monday, I looked down at my watch and realized it was the 23rd: exactly two months from time of departure. Scary.

Anyway, back to the countdown: we’ll celebrate week eight’s conclusion with remembrance of my number eight most missed Corsicana specialty: getting away.

Although I am aware that I can get away from anywhere, it is a little bit different with Corsicana.

Getting away from here for a day trip takes planning, a huge decision, and a call list of 20 random friends to ask to join in for the ride.

Well, first thing’s first: planning. First, I have to see what I want to do, when I want to do it, and how much money I want to spend doing so.

Then, the planning stage turns to that one huge decision: where to go? There is always the hour-long drive to Dallas for North Park Shopping Center, or the hour-long drive to Waco, or the hour and a half drive to Arlington, or the hour and a half drive to Denton.

Yeah, we are basically an hour away from anything fun.

More often than not, the choice winds up being Dallas to go shopping and maybe see a movie. So, I then have to call up my 20-or-so friends to see who wants to take a trip to the mall the next day.

Well, one says she has to baby-sit and another has to clean her room before she can do anything, three or four already have plans, two feel sick, five just went shopping last weekend — together — and three of them could not obtain parental permission.

How quickly my list of 20 winds down to four! But flying with four is better than flying solo, so we all decide to meet up at the crack of — noon, and head off to the great city up north for a great day of shopping and hanging out in good company.

These trips, although they are outside of Corsicana, have really made some of the best memories I have had these past two years since getting my license. And it never was really about getting away from this small town, because we always had fun no matter where we went.

But the trips up to Dallas and over to Waco and even one down to Madisonville and College Station with my best friend have become the memories that I will miss the most when all I have to do to go shopping is catch the A-train up to 5th Avenue and shop until my wallet is empty.

Here in Corsicana, getting away means you do not always have to be in your little home-town. You can just hop in your car and get away from the everyday ho-hum of “What do you want to do? Wal-Mart? Coffee Shop? Movies? Bowling? No ... okay. Never mind.”

There’s excitement in being able to escape so easily, but I don’t think you can really get that in New York. Whereas it takes less than five minutes to get outside of Corsicana city limits, if you want to get out of New York, pray that traffic holds off and you might just get out within the hour —maybe.

Ah, but the great escape is only eight weeks away, so it’s time to start that seventh week and get back to enjoying the time I have left here!

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Chase Springer may be contacted via e-mail at chase@corsicanadailysun.com

        

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