We had been dating for two weeks when TJ asked me one day if I would like to go to Alabama with him. As a birthday gift his grandma, Lucille Petruny, bought him and his cousin plane tickets and game tickets to the Auburn vs. Georgia football game but his cousin had to back out and so there was a set of tickets open. I jumped on that offer and began packing for the first trip with my at the time future husband.
I learned on the way to the airport with his mom as our chauffeur, that this would be TJ's first time on a plane in all his 22 years of life. I was so excited to be with him for this first experience and see the look on his face especially on take-off, which was awesome!
Our plane trip to the Atlanta, GA airport included a quick stop in Phoenix, AZ where we got to sit for 10 minutes and make a few calls to let our parents know that we were still safe and alive. I remember wishing our change over time was longer as our next plane trip was going to be a couple hours long. We boarded again and late that evening landed in the massive Georgia airport where I got to meet his grandma and aunt Lauren for the first time.
After a long drive to their house near Auburn, AL we were shown around their home and got to spend a few minutes in their in-ground hot tub before going to bed. The next morning I got dressed in the Auburn shirt that his grandma had gotten for me before we jumped in the car to go spend the day around town before the game started. We had so much fun taking pictures everywhere while seeing all the buildings and historic sites. Right before the game started we went with his Aunt Lauren to a tailgating party where we got to meet a lot of her friends and take some more pictures.
TJ always told his grandma that he would only go to the Auburn game that he knew that they were going to win- this was the game that he was waiting for. Not only did the Auburn Tigers beat Georgia 49-31 that day but we got to see Cam Newton- winner of that year's Heisman Trophy- play one of his best games. Definitely a game that I'll never forget :)
That night we got to see famous tree outside of the stadium and be a part of the celebratory tradition of toilet-papering it - that was one of the coolest parts of Auburn history that I learned on that trip.
Our time in Alabama didn't last very long, but fortunately our flight did not depart until that evening Eastern Standard Time, so we got to spend one last day with his family. We walked around town one last time before enjoying lunch at IHOP and heading back to Atlanta.
His grandma was awesome and got us first-class tickets for the flight from Phoeniz to Salt Lake, which was a blessing as it was really late and allowed us to be able to sleep more comfortably. I wish every seat on the plane offered more room, a pillow and blanket, and more food :) His dad was the one to pick us up from the airport that night once we landed and he took us to Denny's as it had been a really long day and we were starving. He then dropped me off at my apartment in Murray and I crashed on my bed almost before I could set my bags down.
TJ's cousin sure missed out on an awesome trip but if he had gone then I wouldn't have had that opportunity so I have to say that I'm glad he was unable to go. I hope that someday we can go back and see it all again :)
