Breaking Habits

One thing we’re realizing as we do this is that we (me more so than Ben) tend to fall into the habit of picking a place and focusing on ‘getting there’. When we do that we end up missing all these gems in our country looking only at the finish line. We essentially forget to stop and ‘smell the roses’.

Part of what makes road trips great and memorable is the getting there. The drive itself and the stops along the way. Taking backroads, stopping at small town markets, and eating at unknown diners. You see something that looks interesting? Pull over and check it out! That’s how I found a small trail to a waterfall right off a coastal highway in Oregon. Following signs we happened upon led us to the Chandelier Tree in California as we came off of Hwy 1 and joined up with Hwy 101. Take time to sing along to the radio and just sit quietly taking in the view through your front windows. Go down that side road that looked interesting and take the scenic routes you see. Stop and take as many photos as you can. I’m someone that tends to focus primarily on pictures of scenery like mountain ranges and sunsets. I’ve found that I usually regret not having more pictures of moments or videos of being silly in the car.

We forget that the point of this journey for this is to take it slow and to not rush. To not worry about skipping a day of driving to get somewhere or only driving an hour or two here and there. Our adventure is about experiences and memories. It won’t be long days of driving that stand out in the years to come, but the easy going days where we explored a random part of the country. The both of us are incredibly fortunate that our jobs and status in life allow us the freedom and flexibility to go on this adventure. I look forward to the places I don’t yet know we’ll go, and of the memories I’ll make getting there.