the best things in life are things money can't buy

Ethan and I did a lot this past weekend and we started it off in the perfect fashion: with Mexican food, beer, and live music.

The band performing was amazing and played everything from soul and R&B to the blues.  We sat and stuffed ourselves and talked and laughed while soaking up the music under the summer sky.  I couldn’t help but breathe in the warmth of the evening and think, this is summer.  It was everything wonderful and I couldn’t help but be thankful.

Saturday did not go as smoothly.  We had made plans to spend the day at Six Flags Magic Mountain, a theme park about an hour and a half north of me.  We got in my car to head up there around 8am, so that we could be at the park when it opened at 10.  30 minutes later, we hit a shut down freeway.  Yes, shut down.  In Los Angeles.  On a Saturday.  So we sat.  And took detours.  And sat some more.

{by the way, how do you like this billboard?}

We finally made it to Six Flags 4 and a half hours after we left my house.  We were able to find parking and get into the park okay, but that’s right about when we got grumpy.  I had to use the restroom after sitting in the car all morning and the woman’s line probably had about 30 people in it and was wrapped around building after building.  I think the entire city of Los Angeles decided to go to Six Flags on the same day.  I could see in Ethan’s face that he was losing his patience, but I didn’t say anything.  We both agreed we would start having fun when we got on the coasters.

We stood in an hour-long line for Goliath, the biggest rollercoaster there.

{Goliath before}

{Goliath conquered}

I almost died, let me tell you, but it was terrifyingly amazing.  Upon getting off the ride, it was unanimous: “Let’s go on another one.”

Sadly, “another one” never happened.  It was 2:30 by the time we got off the ride and we were both starving and wanted to grab some food before standing in line for another hour.  And then we saw the food lines…wrapped around buildings and rides.  And THEN, we saw the prices.  15 dollars for a cheeseburger and fries.  Fifteen dollars, people--for a dinky cheeseburger and like, 5 fries.  15 dollars to stand in a ginormous line in the heat after we were both starving and exhausted from having sat in the car all day.  Ethan looked at me, his face tired.  “Do you want to leave?”

No hesitation: “Yes, I do.”

Ethan grabbed my hand and led the way out of the park.  We stopped for ice cream and we poked each other and laughed in the line as relief permeated the air between us.

{yes, that's my boyfriend.  i told him to make an "ethan face" and that's what i got.}

Then, we sat in more traffic and finally arrived back in orange county around 6pm.  7 hours total in the car for one rollercoaster and one cup of ice cream.  We managed to salvage the evening, though, by splitting a large pepperoni pizza, a 12-pack of beer and cuddling up to watch rush hour and zodiac (which was terrifying, by the way.  captivating and terrifying and really, really good.).

Sunday, we got breakfast at our favorite place, talked for hours, and watched Traffic until 4 when we headed to his sister’s house to have a barbecue with her and her new husband.  That was nice...refreshing.  We sat and talked over chips, fresh salad, and barbecued chicken and steak.  The perfect way to end the weekend, if you ask me.

*****

It definitely wasn’t a weekend like we expected; not even close.  But both Ethan and I learned some things this weekend that maybe we needed to know:

Time is precious.

As we wove our way through the crowds and out of Six Flags, Ethan said, “I never knew I could loathe time so much until I joined the Marine Corps.”  The truth is, the reason we left was not really because of the money or because of the lines—it was because of time.  Because we knew that would be our last weekend together before Ethan goes into training for 3 weeks—the longest we’ll be apart since boot camp.  And as we stood in line for Goliath, we talked about how, if we got to see each other as often as most dating couples do, sitting in traffic and standing in long lines to eat and go to the bathroom and ride rides would not seem half as bad.  But the reality is, we do not have the same luxuries as most dating couples and making time quality through our very little quantity is a much-worked at task, but so very worth it.

It’s the little things.

We talked about this as we sat stopped on the freeway on the way home.  We discussed some of our favorite moments together and none of them involved big, elaborate plans or a high dollar amount spent; more often than not, it’s been the exact opposite:

Making breakfast in my kitchen and drinking coffee over morning conversations.  Walking hand-in-hand down to the reptile/bug pet store down the street and calling each other’s names to come over and “look at this guy!”  Curling up into each other’s arms and a white mocha while watching the sunset over Huntington Beach.  Dancing together in the car to ridiculous songs on the radio.  Holding hands in church.

None of those moments cost money or precious time.  Rather, they were--and are--beautiful because of their simplicity.

We talked about how maybe we try too hard---to see and do and enjoy all--when all we should be doing is just being together with no plans or expectations.  Because those are the moments when we find ourselves to be so incredibly blessed.

I was even more reassured that what we said was true as we continued to make our way back to orange county.  We sat in the car and talked and talked talked...about God and struggles with faith.  We talked about family and the future and loss and love.  In that moment, with my feet propped up on the dashboard and the warmth of the sunlight streaming through the windows, I closed my eyes with exhaustion and knew that life was good.

{i promise my toes don't normally look deformed, but i had to show you the cutest little rub-on tattoo from my little seester ;)}

Especially when a hand reached over to envelop mine and a glance moved my way that told me there was no one else he would rather be stuck in traffic with.

So in a strange way, the weekend was a success.  Not by any outsider’s definition, but in the understanding that life is the sweetest when we just let go.  And I know I wouldn’t have wanted to learn that lesson by the side of anyone else.