Ahhh, Family trips! There is nothing like 'em!
We recently went on a road trip.
I know, I know....there are about half of you that think that right there was a crazy idea!
Stuck in a vehicle with two teenage boys and a husband who thinks every other car on the highway is one he has to "beat" might not be everybody's idea of a good time, but I'm not going to lie, I loved it!
I love everything about road trips!
I love the stops at dingy gas stations, I love trying to find a good radio station to listen to when you're in the middle of nowhere, I love the crazy talks that we have because "Mom has a rule that we can't always be on our iPhones!"
I even love the way the vehicle smells after 3 days in a row of greasy wrappers being tucked under seats with the promise of throwing them out at the next stop.
(Spoiler alert: they never do!)
I love it all!!
Except for one thing - there is one thing that I really hate!
And it happens at least once on every road trip.
The dreaded wrong turn!!
No matter how closely you listen to that crazy lady on your phone or programmed into your car, it never fails.
At least once a road trip you are destined to take a wrong turn, or miss the exit or be int the wrong lane.
However it happens, it always leads to the same result.
You are no longer on the path to where you want to go!
And in my eyes, that means you're wasting time!
Wasting time driving around who knows where when you could be on the road to your destination!
Wasting time waiting for Suri to redirect you when you could be getting closer and closer to your destination, to the hotel with the pool, and the hot tub, and the awesome room service!
If you are anything like me, it's not just during road trips that I feel this way!
It can be frustrating to want to move forward in your goals, in the things you want to get done, in your relationship, but instead to be rerouted and slowed down.
But I learned something again this road trip!
Every time we made a wrong turn, every single time if I slowed down enough to relax and accept that it was happening, (instead of fighting it as if my bad attitude could somehow change things) something good came out of it.
Whether it was finding a Krispy Kreme, or seeing a beautiful vies, or someone cracking a joke to make us all laugh when I took a minute to just be in the moment, I always found something beautiful emerged.
And now that we are home, back to routine, with the road trip behind us, some of those wrong turns and missed exits are part of our favorite memories!
And I hear a lot of:
"Hey mom, remember the hotdogs we ate at that rundown gas station?"
"Hey mom, remember that bridge we crossed by accident and then saw al those fishermen catching those huge fish?"
"Hey mom, remember that road in Nevada that literally lead to nowhere?"
"Hey mom, remember the cop that stopped us when dad tried to go down the one way the wrong way?"
So I am reminded once again, the journey of life is not a straight line from beginning to end.
But is instead full of twists and turns and wrong exits.
Whatever you are experiencing is all part of where you are going.
And if you choose you can let it teach you and grow you and become some of your favorite memories.
So here's to the journey!
I'm glad I'm on it with you!
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