After reading Samantha's letter I was ecstatic. She had invited me for Easter. I phoned her straight away and was able to reach her. We reminisced for what seemed like hours about Vermont, but our conversation was less than thirty minutes. Despite the brevity, we were able to make a plan. I would pick her up in Boston and we would travel together to her home-place in New Jersey.

It was less than a week away, so I had to begin planning the journey fast and ironing out all of the details. I called Dad and asked to re-borrow the $1000 dollars that I had paid back from my Vermont trip loan. Since I had made good on the first loan, he agreed that I needed some funds for my trip to Jersey by way of Boston.

I had also decided that I needed to have a gift for the family and for Samantha. The gift for my hosts would be a couple of bottles of vino, but for Samantha, it needed to be something special. The Pandora Bracelet Collection came to mind. Surely they would have a pair of skis as a ornamental item that could go on a bracelet. I searched online. After some searching, I found a charm that resembled someone on a snowboard, and this could commemorate the invitation to Stowe and the memories there of the winter games and our first and last few days together; until now.

With a wallet full of fifties; my favorite bill, and a car full of drinks and snacks, I headed for Boston. I was excited to visit her at college and meet some of her friends. Surely she would introduce me, as the letter she had written and the excitement in her voice as we spoke were positive indicators that she; a) hoped I would accept her invitation, and b) meet her in Boston and drive together to New Jersey...both of which I did.

It would take me about ten hours all told, with a few stops along the way to make it to Samantha in Boston. It was a beautiful Spring day, and I left on a Wednesday. I would stay with Samantha that evening, and then we would take the additional five hours to her home near Cherry Hill, New Jersey, at a slow pace.