A Very Special 60th

"My parents have taught us to celebrate big things in a big ways, and the biggest celebration my siblings probably ever pulled off was for my Mother's 60th birthday. We surprised her with a trip back in time to her childhood years in New Jersey. We did this through a day-long treasure hunt through all her old haunts using clues we wrote to lead her from place to place. It started with my dad getting them on a plane from Florida (where she lives now) without knowing where she was going. Me, my sister, brother, aunts, uncles and baby nephew surprised her when she got off the plane in Newark. We rented two vans and launched the day-long treasure hunt from her childhood home in Hillside. We had spent months compiling memories from her childhood and writing clues, which we read in the van so she could guess each location. We drove by her old houses, elementary and middle schools, her favorite ice cream and hot dog hangout, parks where she swung on a swingset. But the best part was how we surprised her along the way with cameos. Her old boyfriend met us at their high school. (He was so nice and an important friend from growing up, and luckily my dad was a good sport!) Her summer friend met us at the lake where they spent their summers. She hadn't seen these people or these places in many, many years and it was the coolest thing to connect her to her memories after all that time. Like living in a movie of your own life! It was epic! So much fun for her, and for us because we spent all this time preparing, getting to know her old friends and community." -- Elizabeth Vocke