Fresh Off the Boat

My in-laws are eternally fresh off the boat because my father-in-law doesn't fly. The last time he got on an airplane was in 1980, flying home from his mother's funeral in Italy. They made an emergency landing in Portugal somewhere due to engine trouble and then, hours later, they were flown across the Atlantic on the same airplane.  


His heart is not 100% so no one ever seriously tries to get him to overcome his fear of flying. My mother-in-law threw a surprise party for him when he turned 50. He was clearly very surprised, to the point that we were concerned about him. So, when they travel, they use cars, trains and boats.  


When my husband and I got married in California eight years ago, they took the train. It costs a huge amount of money to take the train all the way across country, and is not comfortable. Not only did they sleep in the same bunk, but they said the potty was inches away from the bed.  


When their dear friend's son got married in California last summer, they took the train again, but only one way. My husband found a cruise that sailed from San Diego traveled through the Panama Canal and ended up in Baltimore. The cruise was a comfortable and wonderful adventure. We were all happy for them.  


For years, we have been trying to plan a trip to Sicily to visit the beach town where my mother-in-law was born. It seemed as though my father-in-law wasn't going to be able to join us, but they were able to find another cruise, just not straight to Italy. They are taking a boat to England and then riding the train, again, all the way down to Sicily and then returning the same way. They will travel around 10,000 miles by sea and land in five weeks.