I think it’s a combination of all of the above; even birth order played a role – I did not like when my older sisters quarreled, and I learned to quietly wean away – usually far outdoors in the vast natural playground of my Tom Sawyer childhood. Later, participating in art competitions helped me realize that everyone is different, and what one person likes one week, another might detest on another.. It’s like liking broccoli or mashed potatoes! I’ve always been patient, and with age I’ve learned to see the humor in most all challenges – I’ve probably just now jinxed myself, and Life says, “Ha – let’s give her a little pop quiz and see if she finds the humor.’
Last week I took an alternate route back to the cloud forest from my new home… I hoped it might be shorter, but it added about three extra hours to the drive… After about hour four,, and I was still in the middle of ‘nowhere’ – a vast and lovely ridge overlooking endless valleys — good highways, but heading east and not north/northwest….. it would be several hours before dark, and I just smiled and was glad no one was expecting me – and wherever I ended up, it would be a surprise —- plus I would know more about the country…. I laughed when I crossed out of Manabi province and into Guayas, which meant ‘Guayaquil’ … sure enough, there was a sign, finally, which stated Guayaquil was about 120 kilometers down the road… another sign revealed my intended hub city, where a four-lane routed me ein the right direction… … whew…

Yes, thank goodness for the ‘back button’ – if only we could do that in real life when we realize we made an error!!!! but then we’d miss that road less traveled!

Funny that you say that… we hiked up to a lake, and while it was very pretty, there were a ton of tiny bugs up there, so we couldn’t stick around to enjoy it. This was a great example of a time that the journey was soooo much better than the destination, that age old experience that we are all trying to achieve. Anyway, it was quite an adventure!

Isn’t it amazing how we fear change so much, but once we see that we can survive it, it’s as if we’ve proven to ourselves that it will work out. And we might even embrace it. I feel the same way now. Change excites me. What is great is that you did exactly what you KNEW you needed to do, even if you didn’t know what it was going to look like. I guess that’s part of the adventure anyway. Thanks for sharing that. It’s great to see how others in our field relate to this!

Thanks, Lisa. The scenery was so amazing. My iphone didn’t exactly do the wildflowers any justice. They were so incredible!

You are so great at rolling with any detours and blocks that get in your way. What a gift! I wonder is that a skill you acquired, or were you naturally that way? Is it a result of living abroad that gives you a different perspective? Just curious. EIther way, it’s wonderful, and you are my hero!!! 😉

And thank goodness that the back button on wordpress seems to save our comments… I’ve nearly missed a few that I’ve spent so much time crafting! OMG– so funny, that literally just happened to this very comment! Haha

I am lucky that I roll with the detours, road blocks, etc…. If stalled in traffic – and that happens often in Ecuador with landslides – I use that time just to be ‘quiet’ in my mind.. or I pull out a book and enjoy a chapter or ten… or even stand with the locals and discuss trivia – or watch nature… as for detours, ooh wow, they almost always reward me with new discoveries – i embrace detours!

No matter what surprises Life has planned for us – waiting round the bend – we can handle the challenges… and nothing is worthy of tainting the quality of the day! – ha – not even bad internet, which is off more than on.. and to hit ”send’ only to get a white page… and the fear is, ‘did my comment just get lost?’

no.. the ‘back button’ usually reclaims it,and it did!

It is! Thanks Laura 🙂

What an interesting perspective you lend. It’s your life, so you’re definitely an expert. Has the crowding gotten worse since you started the RV life? We were lucky. Have you ever done the 4th of July hike near Nederland? That’s where we were. The wildflowers were incredible, but my iphone didn’t do it justice. I know you have to be super flexible in your life. It is helpful to hear that you go through the same mental spin when this happens to you– it makes me feel less crazy! 😉

You know I always love hearing this. Such courage, and your life looks so lovely now with all of your travels.