The biggest one this year was celebrating 30 years of marriage with my Mr. We decided last year that we would celebrate it solo in a place that might have been whispering our names regularly across the years. We would wing it instead of preplanning. We knew the destination. So we saved and looked forward. Then a week before departure life made us look at the plan like stodgy, what could go wrong, why didn't you preplan, uptight people who make a schedule for everything. We threw most of that out the window. Our motto is that things go wrong everyday in life so be flexible and adapt. So we couldn't camp. Change of plans.
Reserve a place to stay where you are ultimately landing. Make it work in between. That was a learning experience I don't regret. Even if I never write these stories they loop through my mind making me smile!
The only caveat to all this was the serious accident on our first day of travel. A 4 wheel drive Suburban in the passing lane, just rolling past us lost control, rolled a couple of times, went up on its nose and landed upright across the median on all fours facing oncoming traffic. How no other vehicle was involved is a miracle. Caught up in the shock and horror of the moment Mark pulled over and I jumped out and ran to see if I could help. There were a lot of things happening that I think I will write about later. What I will say is this, although I haven't kept my First Aid Certification current I didn't forget any of the training and learned even more during that episode. We thought about taking pictures but it just didn't seem right. We only have the memories and words that tell the story.
We hit our first destination where we dropped our pup and began our slow ride towards the ocean. Okay, it wasn't a meandering slow ride. We were eager for the ocean air and sand under our feet. Finally hitting the Keys was an instant disconnect from everyday life. The days became a slow stroll and thoughts ran towards how to make a life transition from Indiana to there. No, it wasn't a vacation fantasy, we just know where we feel at home. The ocean has healed us when life has knocked us down, it always invites and soothes and we have a feeling of coming home when we get to be on its shores.
Funny, mention this to some people and they have ten thousand pessimistic questions and thoughts, as though you're expecting them to make this kind of move.
Now we are back in the Midwest. Remembering, celebrating and figuring out how to get things in order.
Make this happen sooner rather than later.
I like to think we are now writing our own life script. For a long time life was leading us, now we are taking the wheel.