Though it was a little damp and muddy, another Junk Jaunt is in the books for my crew.

I’m not sure how many of the early years we hit, but we figured up that, out of the last 17 years, we have missed only two. Jody, our daughter Ann, and grandson Roman load up every year and hit the road for three days of jaunting fun.

This year's trek took us along familiar roads and through towns that have come to feel like part of our life story. There are those vendors that we visit every year, knowing we will find really good stuff there! And there are those we know we never buy anything from, but we stop and look anyway.

Our journey began in Arnold, and after a full day of jaunting through Merna, Broken Bow, Ansley, Litchfield, Hazard, Loup City and Ashton, we spent our first night in St. Paul. Day two took us through Elba, Scotia, North Loup, Ord, Burwell, and Taylor on our way to our second night’s resting point, Sargent. We didn’t find many places still open on Sunday as we weaved our way back through the hills toward home, and have now established a new tradition of making Brandy Mason’s store in Callaway our final stop of the jaunt.

Yes, we came home once again with a van load of stuff. We all four have different things we look for on the trail. My treasures consist primarily of clothes, shoes, and jewelry. Jody was thrilled to find some old Tonka trucks and a cast iron tractor seat. Roman got himself some electronic equipment and a new TV (for $5!), and Annie found everything she had on her list.

And while we were all very happy with our purchases, it was the fun we had together that was the highlight of the trip.

Laughter filled the van most of the way, and what could be more precious than your nearly 17-year-old grandson wanting to hang out with his mom and grandparents and laughing hysterically throughout the trip?

I am a people person, which is probably one of the reasons I love being a journalist. Therefore, one of my favorite parts about Junk Jaunt is meeting the people.

Oftentimes, while the rest of my party is looking through garages and outbuildings full of “treasures”, I am chatting it up with the proprietor of the property or another shopper.

On this year’s jaunt, I ran into several old friends along the way. I even stumbled across a classmate in Scotia whom I had not seen in decades! And the rest of my crew just loves it when they are sitting in the car waiting for me to finally get done talking… They say that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. But we all know, especially with each passing year, that time is the real treasure. The greatest gift we can receive is someone’s time, and it is also the greatest gift we can give of ourselves. Yes, I had to play catch-up at work this week for taking three days away. But the time spent with my husband, daughter, and grandson is a treasure that is so worth that cost.

For you it may not be Junk Jaunting, but I encourage you to take the break, make the time, create the memories, and laugh until your face hurts.