June 27 Road Trip

"Road Trip"

What does the phrase,'road trip' bring to mind? For me, it conjures up many things: going on trips with friends, travels with family, even watching buddy road trip movies including everything from Easy Rider, Sideways, and Midnight Run to Thelma and Louise, Something Wild, Away We Go, and one of my favorites, Larger than Life . Road trips can be a combination of laughs, adventure, delight and probably some surprises. I know one guy who used to take cross country road trips with his parakeet, who rode shotgun, standing on the top of the passenger seat, wings spread, enjoying the breeze coming in through the sunroof.  That must have been something to see.

Road trips can draw us out to go exploring new territory or rediscovering familiar places. Many years ago, someone offered me the use of their beach house on the east coast for a week. Thrilled at the idea of a beach getaway, I put the word out to see if anyone wanted to join me. Busy schedules and summer holiday plans prevented them from being able to go. One person agreed to go, only to back out at the last minute. Faced with driving into new territory by myself (pre-GPS), I considered cancelling but curiosity and a love of reading novels on the sand prompted me to go anyway. It turned out to be a fun drive and a fantastic week enjoying beach life at a small village with delightful shops and wonderful restaurants, cafes and bookstores.

Now, I take short road trips and go on mini adventures. Next time you are out, consider taking a detour and go on a short road trip to discover something new.