The Victory Trip: A Journey Years in the Making

There are some trips that are simply vacations.

This was not one of them.

For years, my parents talked about visiting Israel. It wasn't just another destination on a bucket list. It was a place they both dreamed of seeing someday.

But life has a way of moving faster than we expect.

My dad passed away in 2007, and the trip they had talked about for years never happened.

My parents, who dreamed of visiting Israel together for many years.

Still, the dream never left my mom.

She continued to talk about Israel. She continued to hope that one day she would get there.

Then in May 2022, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Suddenly, the trip became something more than a dream. It became a goal. A reward. Something to focus on when life started revolving around appointments, treatments, and test results.

At every doctor's appointment, she asked the same question.

"Will I still be able to go to Israel?"

Every scan.

Every treatment.

Every follow-up appointment.

"Will I still be able to take my trip?"

The doctors probably heard that question more times than they could count, but Mom never stopped asking.

I honestly believe that trip helped carry her through some of the hardest days. When your life becomes centered around appointments, medications, and test results, you need something beyond the next treatment to focus on.

For Mom, that something was Israel.

We started calling it her Victory Trip.

And in May 2023, almost exactly one year after her diagnosis, we boarded a plane together.

As excited as I was for the adventure ahead, I knew this trip wasn't really about me.

Part of me couldn't stop thinking about my Daddy.

This was supposed to be their trip.

The trip they had talked about taking together.

The trip they never got the chance to make.

While I could never take his place, I was grateful to be sitting beside her on that plane, helping her fulfill a dream they had shared for years.

The trip was organized through her church and operated by Pilgrim Tours. We chose a slower-paced itinerary that would allow us to experience Israel without feeling rushed. Several couples from her church joined us, along with travelers from around the country.

And yes, I was absolutely the youngest person on the tour.

By a lot.

Neither of us had ever traveled that far from home. Between flights, airports, and layovers, we spent nearly 24 hours getting there. We crossed more time zones than I could count and arrived completely exhausted.

But then we walked into our hotel room overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

I went back and looked at the Facebook post I wrote that evening. It simply said:

"After being up and traveling for 24 hours we finally checked in to our room overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. We are already in awe of this beautiful country."

A few hours later, as the sun set over the water, I posted again:

"I have goosebumps and we haven't even officially started the tour yet."

Looking back now, those words still feel exactly right.

The tour hadn't even begun.

We hadn't floated in the Dead Sea.

We hadn't stood in Jerusalem.

We hadn't walked through ancient cities, sailed across the Sea of Galilee, been baptized in the Jordan River, or shared fresh hummus and warm pita with new friends.

All of that was still ahead of us.

But standing there with my mom, knowing what she had overcome just to make the trip, I already knew this journey was going to be special.

Over the next several weeks, I'll be sharing the story of our Israel adventure here on Luggage & Ladle. I'll take you through the places we visited, the food we ate, the history we experienced, and the moments that left us speechless.

Most importantly, I'll share the memories of a mother and daughter who were fortunate enough to take the trip of a lifetime together.

Because some trips are about the destination.

This one was about a dream that survived loss, cancer, and time.

Follow the entire Israel series →