Would you journey 1,000 miles for a dose of nostalgia? I did | Suzy Fleming Leonard

Before we get started, let me offer up a warning. This column contains cringe-worthy details. If you're prone to a queasy stomach, you might want to stop reading.

With that out of the way, I have a question. How far would you journey for an evening of nostalgia?

If you'd asked me that a few months ago, I'd have shrugged. Hard to say. Now I know with certainty: 1,000 miles, from Rockledge, Florida, to Durant, Oklahoma.

It all started with a phone call from my sister. "Will you come hear Journey with me? It'll be fun!"

I weighed the pros and cons.

Pro: I could spend some time with my sisters in Fort Worth, Texas. The older we get, the more precious time together seems.

Con: Though I love live music, I'm not a huge concert fan. When it comes to my favorite songs, I prefer the consistency of recorded music.

Pro: I could tell people I was going to Oklahoma, even though Durant is barely across the Texas state line. For example, "Oh, sorry. I can't this weekend. I'm going to Oklahoma." (Doesn't that make me sound cool?)

Con: Rockledge to Orlando to Dallas to Fort Worth to Durant and back again is a lot of travel for three days.

Pro: Why the heck not? Journey ushered me from childhood to young adulthood. I belted out "Faithfully," "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Open Arms" in my car long before Carpool Karaoke was a thing.

Con: I couldn't think of anymore cons.

I bought a plane ticket.

It was a trip of unbelievable good luck.

I made it to the airport in record time, and only had to wait a couple of minutes for the shuttle to take me from parking to the terminal. I scored an aisle seat in the second row, and found a sappy movie to watch on my iPad.

Once in Fort Worth, I enjoyed lunch with one sister, then had time for a nap before the other sister finished work.

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That evening, we got to Don Artemio, a recent James Beard Award nominee, just in time to score seats at the bar. We sipped cocktails and discovered the wonder of Napolitos Fritos, a pile of fried cactus with bacon that we stuffed into fresh tortillas slathered with guacamole.

The next morning, we got to sleep in before family brunch and another culinary discovery, mac 'n' cheese waffles.

Then it was time to start the two-hour drive north to Oklahoma.

After a flurry of packing, snacking and loading the car, we were ready to go. My sister backed out of the garage while I ran back inside to grab a can of V8 for the road.

That's where my luck ran out.

You know how people hang tennis balls in the garage to mark how far to pull in? Without the buffer of my sister's car, it turned into a jewel thief. As I rushed by, it reached out and snatched the earring right out of my lobe.

It took a few moments to realize what had happened. There was a brief flash of pain, then blood. Lots of blood.

We headed for an urgent care clinic after taking a few minutes to find the errant earring and mop the blood out of my sweater with peroxide.

Luck found me again in the form of a completely empty waiting room. An hour and five stitches later, we were on the road to Durant and the Choctaw Casinos and Resort. We made it with 90 minutes to spare.

The concert was great. The band kept us on our feet and scream-singing for two hours. And unlike the much younger fans at the Pink concert in Orlando a few years back, no one in the Journey crowd turned around and shushed us.

While my sister and her friends headed for the casino, I went to bed. I'd tested my luck enough for one weekend.

So, would I do it again, and travel 1,000 miles to hear a band I loved 40 years ago?

Maybe, maybe not. But I'd travel to the ends of the Earth to spend time with my sisters.

Never stop believin' in family.

Suzy Fleming Leonard is a features journalist with more than three decades of experience. Reach her at sleonard@floridatoday.com. Find her on Facebook: @SuzyFlemingLeonard or on Instagram: @SuzyLeonard. 

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Road to hear Journey in concert paved with luck, good and bad