I was a teenager the last time I went to Great Adventure, an amusement park not too far from where I grew up.  Now, some 25 years later I will be returning to the land of Rolling Thunder with two tweens, Chloe and her friend.

I do not know what I’m getting myself into by taking these two 10-year olds.  My oldest memory of the place was as a 10-year old myself.  My best friend at the time, Tiffany, and I went to see Andy Gibb in concert.  Tiffany’s mom was a huge Andy Gibb fan, too.  The place was jammed and we never got into the outdoor theater to see him perform.  We had to settle for a glimpse of the heartthrob from the top of Rolling Thunder.  And to add insult to injury, it took us hours to get out of the parking lot, and Tiffany and I were crammed into the trunk of a Porsche.  So many hours, in fact, that my parents called the police and local hospitals to make sure disaster hadn’t struck (this was years and years before cell phones).

I don’t anticipate that level of excitement this time ’round.  Indeed, I’ll have a book with me to pass the time while Chloe and her friend entertain each other waiting on line.  And I may indulge in a roller coaster ride or two, just for old times’ sake.