The Adventure Ahead
To infinity and beyond!… Buzz Lightyear said it best with great enthusiasm. What adventures lay ahead for you? I’m pretty sure vacations are planned out way ahead of schedule than weekend getaways, when I went to Disney it took time to plan for the flight, and hotel rooms, and to coordinate the days to see my son, It was all set. My mother-in-law was to pick me up in Clearwater Fl. and we drove to Orlando Fl. to hang out and spend a couple of days at the “Happiest place on earth.” You know what I didn’t plan for, “Hurricane Ian!” and how he threw a wrench into my plans and hundreds of thousands more of others. The silver lining is if you were to be trapped anywhere I think Disney would be up there with one of the best, the only downfall was my budget took a hit because I had to stay two days more than planned, and getting a return flight was a little frustrating, but all minor compared what that storm did to many Floridians. But what an experience! so what next? Like many you do your vacation, get back home to start the grind, and plot and begin to think of where to next.
Where to next? Is it planned or spontaneous? I lost that edge many many years ago, I use to have that attitude of “ Go where the day takes you.” But I know each generation brings more adventurers out here to explore, see, and seize the days of getting out and having some fun! I salute you! R and R come in many different forms at many different places, You just have to put yourself out there.
What if it sucks? We all have been there, especially during the recent pandemic with all the do’s and don’ts and the slow-moving lifting restrictions coming to the post-pandemic times. It set the stage for distance, from social distance to no matter where you were, you weren’t close to having the normal good time that you once remembered. No matter what establishment said they could bring normality to you, it still wasn’t close to the magic and fun it used to have, I saw it with my sons’ university, we experienced it at our getaways when I took the family out, freeing ourselves from the bunker of mundane and boredom, the mentality has changed everywhere you looked, the times have changed, and for me, it will take some time to adjust even while writing this 2 years later. I remember taking time off and going to Dewey beach, Delaware, a great beach! but I forgot my grill spatula so I went to the nearest corner store and had to buy one for 15$! That’s right! no dollar stores at the beach learned a hard lesson to make sure I have everything before I get all excited and just want to get going just to get there and without a spatula. Wow, just reading that I guess I’m still scarred… were gonna soldier through, plan and prepare, and make our next adventure epic. I think the experiences of vacations and adventures that did not turn out so well bring us that experience of how to make it better next time… and that is what matters most, the next time. Live and learn.
So no matter what kind of sucker punch life throws at you, you will recover, I had an old friend who once told me that life is about loss and recovery, and he’s not wrong, but it’s all about how we respond and bounce back with class. So here’s to the adventures ahead, we know what goes well and what doesn’t. Here’s to taking a deep breath and enjoying the moments with gratitude and a smile. Be safe and adventurous wherever the day takes you… and don’t forget your spatula!
Got backpack? Need extra room for your adventures or spatula?
