Today is a great day for writing! I am sitting on my deck, trusty Zoe staring at me as usual. It is a bit overcast with a lovely breeze. Jack Johnson is playing and I am proud of myself for embracing relaxation.
I am thinking about last week-end. My youngest and I went to our mountain house for a day of girl time before my husband and a few good friends joined us (post COVID tests after flying in from LA).
So my youngest and I were cruising along on the 80 minute drive, enjoying the views. Like me, she loves a good road trip. We turn up the tunes, I sing (poorly and loudly) along. The scenery is gorgeous as we travel outside of cities and into mountains with evergreen trees and beautiful views.
About 20 miles from our destination, I saw a sign for Lake Kachess. I had never been – even though so close to Seattle and Suncadia. We had no real timeline and nothing but time on this particular day. So I detoured and we went to visit Lake Kachess. Which was spectacularly beautiful.
A few more miles down the road we detoured again to see Lake Easton and something called Crystal Falls (which looked to be more of a river than waterfalls, but still pretty).
Such beautiful views that I had never seen – even though I had driven by within a few miles many, many times. I am inspired to go back and visit when we are prepared and there are fewer people (i.e. the beaches were more crowded than I would have liked).
But I am so grateful that I took those detours. Perhaps added an hour to our travel time. In our normal hectic life, I’m certain I would not have prioritized an hour of aimless driving. But what a reward!
I am reminded of an article I read awhile ago. It was an interview with my girl crush Michelle Obama. She was describing her career path – which was not linear. Instead, she advised to “embrace the swerve.” Have the courage to pursue the unexpected path that speaks to you. The path may not make sense to others, but the swerves in life add experiences that help us grow and often deliver unexpected joy. Regardless, these experiences add to the richness of life.
Embracing the swerve is something I can get behind. Whether on an unplanned road trip. Or in bigger decisions in life. The swerve can be interesting, empowering, and unexpectedly beautiful.
The Redefining 