The Adventure! The Road Trip. The life...
It's been awhile since I wrote anything. And for that, I am sorry. The exciting news? My debut novel, The Search, is officially published! If you haven't checked it out yet, you definitely should. It's available for purchase on Amazon. Oh, and if you like my Amazon Author Page between now (6/17) and (6/22) you have a chance at winning a free e-book edition. I know. I know. It's too good to be true.
Alright. Enough self-promotion. (But seriously. Download, read, and review!) Recently, I have been thinking about what a journey life is.
Have you ever been on one of those road trips where everything seems to be going just fine, but then something happens that completely takes you off-course? I've had plenty. In fact, now I have started to believe a good road trip isn't complete without a little adventure. At least one.
You know, like that time I was traveling to TN from VA and ended up driving an hour out of the way by heading north because I wasn't using a map or a GPS and I was having too much talking to my traveling partner.
Or, the time that I ended up at the CREEPIEST bathroom I had ever been in. It had holes in the stalls leading outside and I swear there was blood on the floor and the sink. Obviously someone had been murdered there.
Sometimes, these adventures turn into something wonderful. I've met some pretty amazing people from being sidetracked from my the main road. I've seen beautiful sites. I've become closer to some of the people I care about most. For instance, when I was moving from IN to VA for my first job, my best friend and her family helped me move. Her husband decided to turn off the main road and travel through the hills of West Virginia.
Not exactly what I was hoping for. There were mountainous hills. Sharp Turns. Old men sitting on their porches with shot guns and dogs (cue the Wrong Turn music now). Despite the scariness of this scene, we also wandered upon an amazing overhang that gave us a view of the countryside. It was beautiful.
That's the thing about taking chances, going off the beaten path. It can be scary, challenging, and difficult. But it can also yield amazing results.
The truth of the matter is that these adventures turn into stories. These stories can be shared. And the process of sharing our stories is what connects us to one another. Which is why, even though the adventures and the frustrations I sometimes feel at being sidetracked from my ultimate goals, I enjoy every minute of the journey of life. Just like a road trip that wouldn't be complete without at least a little adventure, life wouldn't be complete with the ups and downs, the challenges, and the off-road journeys.
