After being quarantined for three months, my friends and I started to get cabin fever. Most of my friends were able to work from home so none of us had been anywhere during that time. So one day, I told my friends that Wisconsin, which is an hour north of us, is open! Completely open. So, I suggested we rent a house and spend the weekend up there.
My friends were immediately on board! I rented a five-bedroom house with a huge deck, since there are nine of us. We drove three hours north to the Wisconsin Dells. When we got there, we pretty much said, “Screw it! We’re here and we’re going to have fun.” We felt like we needed that! Our group hung out, drank and did cookouts! it really felt amazing.
Most of the businesses up in Wisconsin had employees wearing masks and they were constantly wiping things down, so we felt very safe. We visited an escape room and did a World War II military duck tour. We rode on this an amphibious vehicle that went in and out of the water and then back on the road. It was really cool.
We also did this windmill ride. I’m sure the name can give you an idea of what it was like. Our weekend together became about conquering fears and it was incredible. I ate the world’s hottest gummy bear, which contained chili extract rated at 9 million Scoville units. That’s 900 times hotter than a jalapeno! Crazy! In between all the crazy activities, we rode Go Karts, ate out at restaurants and hung out on the deck at our house. It was a beautiful weekend!
With everything that’s been happening, it was nice to be a family again and spend time together. I feel we take little things like family and friends for granted. We need to remember to stop and smell the roses and appreciate our family and friends. Take the time to show love!
About Bryan Anderson: Bryan grew up and resides in Illinois. Injured by an IED in October 2005, Bryan is one of the few triple amputees to survive his injuries in Iraq. He is an ambassador for the Gary Sinise Foundation and a spokesperson for USA Cares, which is focused on assisting post 9-11 veterans. Click here to learn more about Bryan.