Finding the beauty when life isn’t pretty
Adapting to changes and embracing uncertainty
Lately, life has made me wonder: what’s the point of having a plan? Every plan I’ve had in the last couple of years has blown up in my face. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but there seem to be these blasts near or on my path that have caused some rough redirection.
I fell off the radar after my trip to Washington to pick up the Kimbo. I don’t want to go into detail since it isn’t entirely my story to tell, but I returned to Texas to news of some serious health issues of a close family member. It’s taken me time to process it. It shook me, honestly. I lost myself in it for a few weeks.
Despite these scary, uncertain, life-shattering moments, life goes on. We learn to keep going in whatever capacity we can. Sometimes that means stripping life back to the basics: survival. Not thriving, but existing. And sometimes that’s okay. Sometimes that’s enough. If we do it enough, we slowly learn to start putting pieces back together, but sometimes, not all of the pieces fit anymore, or they fit differently. So, we shift. Our outlook changes. Plans change.
Beyond the beaten path
Instead of heading to Alaska this year like I was planning, I’ll likely stay close to Texas. I’m currently visiting a few state parks in the Texas Hill Country, getting familiar with the Kimbo and learning to do this road life thing. It’s probably considered “road life-lite” since I’m staying at campgrounds; there isn’t much free camping in Texas, and stealth camping isn’t much of a possibility in the truck camper.
There have been so many changes in the last couple of years—changes that have rocked my world. I wonder if they happened because I chose to step onto such an uncertain path, or if I simply feel life more acutely now that I’ve allowed myself to focus on what’s truly important. Maybe when I was living such a predictable, routine life, I was numb to these changes. Maybe I was blind to these opportunities for evolution.
It’s hard to say, but I do know I wouldn’t do it any differently. Since stepping off the beaten path, I’ve explored the southern Croatian coast; I’ve snowshoed Mount Baker and climbed through Colorado and Arizona canyons; in New Mexico, I found my new favorite city (and had some of the best food) with some of my best friends; I’ve made some awesome friends in some funky towns in my home state; I’ve reconnected with old friends and was fortunate enough to customize my new travel rig with the help of one of them (would not have been able to do it without him!); and most importantly, I’m so thankful I’ve been able to be close to family during a difficult time.
Beauty isn’t always pretty, but it’s always there.
