The day was calm and peaceful, with only a slight breeze swaying the branches of the trees. The tips of the leaves were turning scarlet as the hot summer slowly changed to crisp autumn. Golden rays of sunlight streamed from the heavens, with not a single cloud there to block them out. It was truly a magnificent September afternoon, that day the Hendersons took a road trip out west. The van was all packed up and ready to go, and the Hendersons…well, the Hendersons weren’t.


“I’m not ready yet, Mom!” yelled Chelsea Henderson from her bedroom on the second floor. Being a 16-year-old, Chelsea rarely woke up before 11: 30 on weekends and had only just begun the 10-minute-process of fixing her hair when her mother called up that it was time to go.


“Wait, Dad, just one more level…” implored Michael Henderson, who was busy playing his PS2 when his father told him to turn it off. “Now, son,” his dad replied softly.


“Waaaaaahhh! Waaaaaaaaahhhh!” cried Megan Henderson, who had run out of Cheerios to throw across the kitchen, and wanted more. Megan considered herself the only sane human being in the household; what was all this fuss about a road trip, anyway?


Finally, shortly after the grandfather clock in the foyer chimed out 1:00, the Hendersons were ready to roll. Chelsea had already pulled out her iPod and was currently swinging her head and mouthing the words to the song she was listening to in the backseat. Michael was completely absorbed in his GameBoy Advance and small exclamations of “No!” and “Take that!” could be heard coming from his direction. Megan was sleeping soundly in her carseat.


“Well, isn’t this great, guys?” said Mrs. Henderson, trying to get a conversation started. “Here we are, beginning our journey into the unknown. Isn’t this exciting?”


“Mm-hm,” murmured Michael, now pressing the buttons on his GameBoy very rapidly. Chelsea couldn’t hear her.


“I see you’re all thrilled,” muttered Mrs. Henderson.