Our Amazing Adventure: Part 2 The Surprise

July 14th I booked the flights and the rail passes. A few days later, I booked our hotel stays.

Then I started working on the details. I got fancy envelopes and created challenges. I bought puzzles and thought of road blocks. I watched the season premiere of Amazing Race Canada on-line again just to get everything right.

Then I enlisted the help of a few friends. They were as excited as I was to be planning a surprise of this magnitude.

Sunday evening, less than a week after I started booking and really getting the plan in motion, it was "go time!"

My son and I were together and I suggested a casual stop at Starbucks to grab drinks as we often do. We went into the store and ordered a latte and an iced tea. When they called his name and delivered his beverage, they also presented him with an envelope.  It said "Your own Amazing Race Birthday Adventure starts NOW! You have an hour to pack. Plan for 5 days, bring your sneakers and sense of adventure. You're heading east."

The staff at the store cheered! My son grinned ear to ear and my own heart raced. When we got home he was packed in 15 minutes. "Let's GO MOM! Let's do this!"

2 hours later, in the truck heading towards the nearest major airport I gave him his second clue. It said "Set your alarm for 5:45 AM. A plane that's blue, and numbered 3-1-6 will not wait for you!" 

A few taps into his iPad and he found our flight number and learned the destination was Ottawa! I smiled and thought to myself.... son, you don't know the half of it!