I live on routines and schedules but I'm also flexible. Daily routines help me mentally prepare for what's coming. I can think through the agenda for the meetings, prepare ahead of time for classes and Bible studies, and have a general idea of what I would do in between appointments. If I have errands, I can plan when to do it knowing my regular daily routine.
But there are unexpected changes that might happen and I'm the kind of guy that would normally struggle to think of what I can do especially when I have a whole day of unexpected "free time." Yesterday was that day!!! I set aside the whole day to help in processing for the car registration of our ministry vehicle. Last week I already requested all the needed documents from the Admin Office and they gladly prepared them inside an envelope. So, I took the vehicle for the standard inspection but when I looked for the documents to be presented, one particular document was missing. I called the Admin and I found out that she was on leave for a few days and she just told me "I'm sorry, I may have forgotten that..." There was nothing I can do about it so I brought the vehicle back and now I have a free day and I have no idea what I can do or where I can go!
My wife and 2 daughters went out to buy supplies for school. When they got back I told them what happened and they were quick to suggest, "Why don't we go and visit grandpa and grandma!" And I told them, "That's actually a great idea because from tomorrow until a few weeks from now, I will be so busy we may not be able to go and visit them."
So, we quickly got on the car and started our unplanned quick road trip! Normally, unplanned trips are really great... No stress, anything goes, whatever we do is good, wherever we end up eating it's fun because there's no plan, no itenerary...just do what we can do! It's the opposite of me but I actually like it at times especially when it's just me and my family!
This particular spot is so beautiful for me. It's green, it's wide, it's open and the mountain in the background looks quiet but imposing. I want to liken it to a big business man who doesn't talk a lot but his mere presence cannot go unnoticed.
Anyway, the tower, the trees, and the vast sky are so refreshing to look at I had to stop and open the window to take a few moments looking at it.
When I was a little boy, I used to be scared standing underneath those huge towers. The size, the height, and just the thought of what might happen to me if one of those high voltage cables go down was terrifying. But I enjoy staring at it from a distance.
On the opposite side is just as refreshing to the eyes. I guess the doctors are right when they tell us to look at anything green. The sun seemed to be smiling at us and cheering us on for this quick trip out of the city and into a place closer to nature.
I had so many fun memories in this river. It used to be a lot smaller with a lot fish, small crabs, and lobsters. We used to go fishing with my grandpa and uncle Vic. And of course, we went swimming!!! I had to share this with my little girl whose growing up in a small city in an entirely different way than me who grew up in a small village.
Unplanned trips can be very beneficial and helpful at times. I get to breakaway from daily routines and schedules and just be free and easy. It's not the way I want to live each day, but it's a good way to take a break! Nothing special, no big preparations needed, just stress free!
To the next quick "unplanned" road trip!!! (I guess when we plan to have unplanned trips, then it's no longer "unplanned" hahaha)
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.
