Last week, we went on a family vacation. It was spring break for our son and a pause between school activities, so the time was right. I didn’t track how many miles we put on the rental car, but we walked 25-30,000 steps per day. We had great weather despite the forecast and only had rain one day. We went through 4 states: Nevada, Utah, California and Arizona…3 different hotels… 2 time zones, 2 national parks and 1 state park. We didn’t get lost, or at least not so lost that we couldn’t find our way back.

You’ve seen the posts about life being short, “Take the trip,” or “Eat the cake,” or “Use the fancy dishes for a Tuesday.” I tend to not use my fancy dishes mainly because they don’t go in the dishwasher, but I do love cake and I do love to travel. Pro tip: do NOT watch the Boeing documentary and then fly on the exact planes that they talk about in the documentary. It’s a little unsettling. But we made it there and back – no doors or wheels fell off and I am very thankful!

My someday is now. I’m not waiting until I retire to travel and have adventures. I use all of my vacation time each year. I can’t recall a trip or adventure that I regret. Even the ones that were not so good allow me to appreciate the good ones even more. The time we went camping and it was -40 degrees with no running water with only an outhouse and I ended up with influenza…. NOT fun, but memorable! On this trip, we had some very crummy pizza at the Zion lodge for lunch, but it made us super thankful for our amazing pizza at Trevi in the Cesar’s Forum shops Vegas (also get the mozzarella- it is AMAZING!) I don’t think you have to have something bad to appreciate something good, but sometimes the contrast is a good reminder.

We hiked, we saw family, we went to a show, we shopped, rode the bus, we saw breathtaking views and had some great (& some not so great) food. While looking up from the bottom of the canyon in Zion at the massively huge rocks and the waterfalls finding their way down the side, I felt so small. From the top of the rocks looking out over the landscape, I also felt small. From far away, you could see people on the trails who looked like ants, yet you could hear the peaceful rushing water, the bird singing and the sound of the wind through the canyon. It was like a hug from Mother Nature, asking you to pause and take a deep breath. Watching the sun come up over the canyon at just the right time was hard to describe… it was there for an instant with oranges and reds, then the clouds moved in and it was gone. The snow covered peaks now surrounded in clouds as the bright colors muted in the daylight.

I could write a whole chapter on our week long adventure, but I’ll keep this shorter. I agree that life is short. My bonus could have gone to some bills, but instead I traded it for memories. Along the way, we found coins that held meaning – our other son’s birth year and graduation year along with my mom’s birth year, the year I was diagnosed with cancer and some others. Constant reminders of those we love and the things we’ve overcome.

Peace be with you on your journey of enough. And, if you do get lost, be sure to find your way back. You’re needed here.