The "Traveling Companions" Story

It was an ordinary day. Getting ready to head on a trip through the Panama Canal. Flying to San Diego, heading down the Pacific Coast with a few stops and then through the Canal. We then will stop at 2 islands in the Caribbean with a final destination of San Juan. The "We" is Carol and me and our traveling companions Jerry and Just Sue. I think it is our 8th trip together. We had one other cruise in the Western Caribbean and this will be our second. We have been traveling togethe rsince 1999 when Jerry and I both retired from Manheim Township School District. We grew up together having attended elementary, junior high and high school together. Jerry entered the Navy while I entered college immediately after high school. We both ended up teaching together at our Alma mater before Jerry became the head of grounds and maintenance for the school district. I was in the high school office in 1998 when I heard Jerry talking to one of the secretaries about planning another trip to Hawaii. He and Sue had been there two times before. I asked him if he had any more room open for the trip and that's how it all started. A week after we retired from MT we were headed to Hawaii with Jerry and Sue as well as Sue's sister Pat and Barb and Harry. We knew Barb and Harry from church so we had a great time traveling to three different islands. Two years later we started our Caribbean journeys with trips to St. Thomas and St. Martin. It's been many years since that first trip together, but we still find we enjoy traveling with the two of them. We usually share a year's laughter together in the 2 weeks we travel. We never take anything personal that we say to each other. Seems to work better that way. I've been called numerous names and I have reciprocated with name calling of my own. Sue and Carol have been told they look like sisters and at times even dress that way. Jerry and I have never been picked as brothers since I am the good looking one. After a day or two our stomachs usually ache from all the belly laughs we have shared. Not sure what people think sometimes, but what the h*#l, we're companions on vacation. It was another extraordinary day in life of an ordinary guy.

PS - Sorry to my readers who thought I got lost. I'm on a feeding spree, known as a cruise. I found out they make their money by selling booze, getting you to gamble, and selling you expensive packages for their internet access. Will send more stories, but maybe not every day.