#bestmomever, Day 8. For her love of travel and willingness to try anything and go anywhere. This one my mom passed on to me. They always say the middle child is the independent one, and that is certainly the case for me. I am one of two people on either side of my family to not live in my hometown. The other is my cousin Paul, also a middle child, who currently lives in Vietnam. Somehow, despite the fact that she was the oldest child, my mom also had a sense of adventure in her. She knew that her life was going to be in Newburgh, but she was always up for an adventure and going to see other places, experience other cultures, food and more. But she was also the type who loved going back to a place that felt comfortable and a bit like home, and that is what New Smyrna Beach, FL became to her. We started going to NSB when I was 9 years old. It was recommended to my parents as it was one of the closest beaches to Disney World. We headed down in 1979 and my mom has gone every year since. It started at the Islander hotel, the only hotel on the island. Our first three spring break vacations were spent there, the first just our family, the 2nd year we brought Jerry Santaniello, and then the third year the entire Santaniello family came with us including Lorri Santaniello Miller, and Christina Santaniello Norton. That year someone tipped my parents off to Bob Grandstrom, and the houses he rented further down the island, starting in 1982 we rented one of Bobs houses for the month of April, and even today he is my parents and sister (Gina Prokosch-Cook) Realtor for the house they own at NSB. This was our annual vacation and we loved it, we would always go to Disney, and then hang out at what seemed like our own private beach (if you want privacy, this is the place for you). The first pics below of some of our April get-aways. The second one is a trip while Gina and I were in college, so my brother brought along some friends Billy German and Chris Welsh. That is what my parents did, always brought along others who could experience the joy of Disney and NSB. My mother truly believed that Disney was the best place on earth, heaven on earth as she would say - it was CLEAN, SAFE, HAPPY, DIVERSE and always brought joy out in people, and that was how she thought life should be. While my mom loved Florida and Disney, she was always up to go see more. So when I had finally saved enough vacation and money in 1994 to do a trip while I was working in the city, she was game to be my travel partner. We decided to go to San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, a little venture to the Pacific NW. We had a blast, checking out all the sites in San Fran - which became one of her favorite places in the US. She was at home there with the more liberal culture, art scene, amazing homes and great food. I remember finding a coffee shop in Haight Ashbury that we loved so much we would go back at the end of every day before dinner. This was before gourmet coffee was on every corner. We went to Alcatraz, the piers, Redwoods and so much more. The stop in Portland was fantastic as we got to see my moms uncle and his family. My moms dad died when she was 18, so she didnt get to see that side of the family, and in particular her uncle as he moved to Oregon after he left the service, many years before. This was such a joy for her to sit and catch up for an entire day. After leaving we drove down the Oregon coast, which til this day is in my top 5 most beautiful things in the US (and at this point I have seen a lot of it...thats coming later). So we had the bug now, my mom had caught it. So when I decided to head to Europe after I graduated from Michigan in 1997, the first people I asked to join me were my parents. My mom had always wanted to go to Europe, and I was going to do it on the cheap, so I thought I would see if they were up for a true adventure - of course the answer was YES. My parents and I backpacked through Europe (well they had rollies), but we roughed it - night sleeper trains, a step above hostels and more. We started in London, then hit Belgium and Switzerland, before hitting my moms motherland of Italy (and half my dads). We did Venice, Florence, Siena, Assisi, Rome, Naples and the Amalfi coast,...truly amazing. My mom was such a trouper, she was much heavier back then but she did the Vatican steps and so much more. It was our first trip of a lifetime and I was sad when they headed home after 3 weeks and I continued on for another 4 weeks. See the pics below, the ones where Mary Ann Prokosch and I both have shorter hair. We were warming up now. My mom got a taste of Europe and LOVED it (who doesnt). So when P&G asked me to move there in 1999, she was ecstatic. Now had an excuse to come even more. Arnie Zucker and I move there in 2000 and my parents visited often. After Ben was born they wanted to just stay in Belgium, but we would always plan a trip for them, even if it was just to Normandy, FR, Dublin, Amsterdam or other closer locals. Gina was able to come over too when Ben was born, and we got her to Paris which was awesome. Our next Disney cruise was going to be Europe probably, so we could all go together - we will for sure do it as a family and will take my mom with us in spirit of course. Once we were back in the states we started doing every other summer vacations with my side of the family. Our first trip in 2007 was to Lake George where we rented a house, then the Poconos in 2009. In 2011 we all bit the bullet and did a Disney cruise to Alaska, what an amazing trip. Unfortunately Matt and Stephanie Ploss didnt come, as then it would have been perfect, but we made the most of it - dog sledding run, whale watching and so much more. I had dreamed of going to Alaska for a long time, and now we did it the disney way with the entire family which was priceless. Unfortunately that trip ended traumatically for Arnie and I, as during out last day at see we got an emergency call from land that Arns mom had passed away suddenly. I was so glad that we were surrounded by my family for the comfort and support. We were in shock and needed them around us to get through. This was also a wake-up call to all of us, as you never know when God will decide it is your time. Not 10 months later my mom was diagnosed with her lipo-sarcoma cancer, a 2nd big blow. That Christmas (2012) Arnie and I had a heart to heart and decided we were finally going to take that sabbatical we had always talked about. P&G allows you to take 3 month unpaid leave every 5 years, and we had 21 and 16 years and had not taken one, and it was time. We needed to regroup and spend a lot of time with family. Now it was time to plan it. We had talked about seeing the US and doing an RV trip, so again we asked my parents if they were game - and of course they said game on. On June 1st, 2013 my parents, my family and our dog Henry set of off on the true trip of a lifetime. M&D spent the first three weeks with us - we saw St Louis, Great Sand Dunes NP, Mesa Verde NP, Four Corners, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Natural Bridges NM, Grand Canyon NP, Los Angeles (where we saw my childhood best friend Joan Messina Rhoa and her family, and my bridesmaid Andrea Theodore and her husband Robert Gray, and another childhood friend Chrissie Russell Hand and her family, Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP, Lake Tahoe where our friends Louisa & Tom Shields again blessed us with the use of their home. Three weeks of heaven on earth for sure, We were so sad when M&D headed to SF airport to head home for Emily Cook high school graduation. They left us on a Sunday and my moms cancer showed up again on a scan that Thursday. Let this be a reminder to everyone reading this that LIFE IS PRECIOUS, and you never know how long it will last, so make the most of everyday. Dont worry about material things, but worry about making memories and cherishing every moment you have with a friend or loved one. I thank GOD everyday that we had that trip last summer, as my children will remember their grandmother and her hiking, river rafting and smiling along the entire journey. But, that would not be the last adventure - that would come 5 weeks later, the grand finale of our 9 week adventure - Disney Cruise ROUND 2, this time to the Carribean. At this point we knew my moms cancer was back, and that surgery (the normal way of removing the tumor) was not an option, but there was nothing stopping my mom from going and off we went. My mom danced, did a game show with my dad, rode the famous slide (see the pic as proof) and so much more. She showed us what living truly is and we will continue that forever. The shirts we are all wearing, courtesy of Katie Cook amazing design say The Making Memories Cruise...we heard there was a slide so only fitting that the last picture of the many I give you is my M&D riding the slide and waving to all of you who have loved and touched them both.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 13:18:27 +0000
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