Taking a Scenic Route

 When I was younger (before cell phones were a thing) I often found myself taking unplanned "scenic routes" while driving.  Best described as impromptu detours from the destination I had in mind, I was that driver who would eventually discover that perhaps that left turn should have been a right turn after all.  It always turned out fine in the end and usually resulted in the discovery of a new route or new sights along the way.  As long as time is not an issue, a scenic tour can be quite refreshing.

Enter cell phones and GPS systems and our opportunities for unplanned scenic tours seems to be lost.  It is difficult to "accidentally" take a wrong turn when most of us carry with us tiny computers that can prevent that type of mistake from taking place.  In fact, the last time I was on a quasi scenic tour was a couple of summers ago driving out of town to visit a friend.  I had unknowingly turned on the "avoid highways" mode in Maps and as a result was taken along a much more picturesque route that I had a hard time enjoying because of the amount of time it took.  Time - the destroyer of scenic tours!

I am at a bit of a cross-roads lately, to keep the travelling theme going here, and find myself wondering about which way to turn.  There is part of me that wants the direct route to a destination I have in mind.  That part feels like I have already spent way too much time dawdling and just wants to get there already!  I am not going to lie, there is a lot to be said for direct routes sometimes.  That feeling of knowing exactly where you are headed and that you are taking the most efficient way to get there.  No worries about whether or not you will make it in time or if you are going to get stuck somewhere en route, and if you have enough water and snacks to keep you from getting hungry along the way.

Then there is the scenic tour side of me who is willing to lead with her gut instinct and just take the turn that feels like the right one.  She is less fussed about timing and more interested in the trip itself.  She feels pretty confident that no matter which direction we start in, we will change our route a number of times before actually landing where we do, which is likely to not be where we thought it was in the first place.  I love these qualities about her, despite the fact that they also frustrate the more practical side of me at times.  

I like the idea of handing over the map and being a co-pilot instead of solely responsible for navigating.  I like the idea of not knowing exactly where I am headed and how I will get there.  I like the loose and easy feel of this approach, but I also have a little voice of worry in my head.  That voice that warns me about wasting time and being frivolous.  That taunts me with reminders about how many others seem to have found their destinations in much less time than I have.  That voice that asks me why I even need to keep journeying when I could convince myself that I am in a good enough place already.

And time, boy that is a hard one to get past.  Especially as I get older and start to wonder about how much more time I will have to do all of the things that I still want to do and accomplish.  Maybe more direct routes would be good because they will free up time and will allow me to be more and do more.  Or maybe time spent on the journey is not time wasted after all...maybe the precious time that I am trying to get more of or hold onto is actually what needs to be spent in order to reach that place I am aiming for.  

The beautiful thing about it all is that I won't know the answer to this conundrum until much later, when I look back and am able to see the path that I took in its entirety.  Only then will the dots connect and the logic in the mess make sense.  Until then I will go with what feels good - be direct when I need to be and be open to scenic routes when I am able to sit back and let the road ahead of me unfold as it will.  In my Universe Has Your Back card deck there is a card that states "Obstacles are detours in the right direction" - I will carry that belief with me as I Kerri on down the road.