Valentines Day circa 1974

"Wake up, wake up, hurry."
Wiping the sleep from my eyes I was so excited, it's Valentine's Day! I had spent the last week drawing out valentines to my classmates and waiting for the party at school, oh, the sweet adrenalin of anticipation.
"We are leaving right now, you may pack one bag to take with you, we are leaving in 5 minutes"
Whatever my eight year old mind's version was of "oh shit, not again," my dreams of hearts crumbled.
"Mom, it's valentines day, you can't" I was afraid of my mother, more of her disapproval, the disappearances and her ideals that kept me separate from my classmates, than getting whacked upside the head.
Can't we wait till after the party?Please?
One ice cold glare and the rebellion was frozen. Begrudgingly, I grabbed whatever was important at the time and got in the car.
Breaking the silence I started to sing
"I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again"
Heading South, I knew I wasn't going to be abandoned on the doorway of relatives on Long Island.
"Please stop singing that song." I moved quickly over to the window, my mom's arm could not reach across the distance of a 1962 Chevy Impala.
Fueled mania, tears and probably a heavy dose of crystal meth, we drove straight through the night. Grey skies and barren trees gave way to spring,then summer as the miles flew by.
Late the second night, we stopped at a traveler's motel. Carrying the bags up the wrought iron stairs I was excited to watch television. There had not been much conversation, I still did not know where we were heading.
Waking up, I was greeted by a wondrous world. A light fog that was burning off in the heat of the sun, Spanish moss, palm trees and a wetness in the air that I had never felt.
"Where are we?"
"Somewhere on the Florida/Georgia border."
The lost Valentines day slipped away. This was one of my mom's crazy trips I was not going to regret.