It’s officially the longest day of the year. It’s Summer Solstice! That has me thinking about exploration road trips with these two. One of my very favorite things to do with them is set out with a cooler to explore some forest, creek or beach. We’ve also been known to be driving along, on a regular summer day, see a path through the trees, and just take off following it.
Only to find out later where it leads.
Sometimes we get stuck, hurt the car in some way, or cause some other sort of trouble. Sometimes we get lost, temporarily. But most of the time, we end up discovering something interesting we would have never found if we stayed on the path. We’ve made a lot of our very best memories on those excursions.
We also learn a lot on those days.
We’ve learned to use a map to find our way home. We’ve learned that rubber boots can get sucked up in the swamp. #savethepeopleforgettheboots We’ve learned, really well, what poison ivy looks like, how to treat chiggers and why you should always check for ticks.
We’ve discovered countless treasures.
We’ve found shells, shark teeth, antlers and cow bones, just to name some of our ‘valuable’ loot. We’ve had near misses where we found something cool, only to lose it in the current downstream shortly thereafter. We’ve discovered paths that lead to hideouts, campfires and rope swings.
But the best thing we’ve ever found is each other.
Wandering, and even getting a little lost, can be a valuable tool to finding the path you are meant to be on.
If you’re wandering through a path today that has you feeling unsure, take a deep breath and try to let go of your judgment about it. It’s okay to not always know exactly where you are headed. In fact, it can be such an enormous gift.
Look for the treasures along the way.
Stay with your people.
Maybe you’re not lost, you’re simply on the path to a great discovery.
to more love,
Crystal
