When Plans Change ~ The Road Trip

I was planning to be home all month. I was going to write a few more chapters in my new book and go to my neighborhood yoga studio for 28 days of practice. I planned to settle in and nest, cook fabulous meals, take photos for #enchantyoureveryday. Basically, I was going to be a nap-taking, cat-cuddling homebody. As you might imagine, things didn’t turn out exactly as I planned. In truth, they turned out much lovelier.

Instead of staying home all month, I was invited to go on a West Coast road trip to retrieve my 20-something daughter who’s been living in San Diego for the past several months. How could I resist? So… the new book chapters simmered a bit longer and I learned the art of letting go of what I thought 28 days of yoga practice looked like. I discovered that morning stretches in a hotel or ragdoll pose at a rest stop could be quite fulfilling. Exploring new places to nest for the night is a treat that is sometimes hilarious and generally satisfying, especially if you don’t set expectations too high. Using Yelp to navigate restaurant recommendations and dining with a daughter who is exploring what it means to be a vegan has yummy benefits all its own.

There wasn’t much nap taking while on the road and only a couple of cat sightings ~ one while we were exploring a funky local bookstore in Mendocino. We saw miles of amazing coastline, dipped our toes in the ocean, dined with my favorite California Cuban, and visited with old friends. The moon rose to completeness on our trip and I relished watching the sunset over the ocean and La Bella Luna rise in all her magnificent glory.

As our days on the road drew to an end, I thought about the moon in her fullness. It was a beautiful reflection of our time together ~ rising, shining, and, finally, waning. We’d spent nearly a week of days filled with sunshine and flip-flops, popcorn and Audible, listening to Tiny Beautiful Things and deciphering lessons on Ayurvedic medicine.

We are home now and settling back into our normal routines. This morning I curled up with the cat and thought about how different things would have been if I had stuck to my plan and spent 28 days in Seattle. The cat is happy I’m home. I’m happy I chose to go. Some things are beyond our capacity to plan. 

“The question isn’t whether you should stay or go.

The question is:

How would your life be transformed if you chose to love this time will all your intelligence?” 

 Cheryl Strayed & Me :-) 

I'm writing a new book (see this excerpt)! In the meantime, I hope you'll take a peek at BLUE: a novel and As I Lay Pondering: daily invitations to live a transformed life.