Permission to Wander

A Personal Story

When I was in high school, my friends and I used to pile into the car on Friday nights and deliberately try to get lost. We would simply choose a freeway, drive until we didn’t recognize any of the street names, and then get off at a random exit. Then we’d either drive around some dark small town telling ghost stories or try to figure out why people were always moving their sofas in the middle of the night. (I swear we saw somebody moving furniture at least once a month) Eventually we’d stop at a well-lit greasy spoon for a midnight snack and ask around for directions back to the freeway.

Basically, it was a cheap form of entertainment (back when gas was only 99cents a gallon). But, years later, I realized those “cheap” Friday night trips had taught me to enjoy wandering and the process of discovery.

Back then, that old beater car didn’t have power steering, let alone an internal Bluetooth cell phone, on-star, or GPS Navigation. But instead of feeling afraid that I might get lost, I always felt excited to see some new town (under the moonlight of course). Instead of worrying about what time I might get home, I looked forward to finding a new place to get great midnight pancakes.  A place that I might never find again once the sun came up.

As a group, we spent the drive sharing experiences, learning from each others mistakes, and laughing at our ridiculous love lives. Every outing had a simple purpose, to find adventure in the ordinary and to find ourselves on a late night drive.

Simple Pleasures

As we get older, sometimes we forget to take the time to wander. We’re always trying to keep up with the neighbors or whatever the media tells us our neighbors are like, instead of taking the time to discover what simple pleasures we really enjoy in life.

Its worthwhile to wander, to get a little lost in life, try new directions, share life lessons with your friends, and laugh together.

What have you got to loose, except a little sleep on a Friday night? More importantly, consider what you have to gain. You might learn to face some of your fears, like laughing off a scary ghost story while lost in an unknown town or asking a stranger for directions. You might discover how amazing your friends really are, or at least which one has the best dating advice. You might even realize that you want to walk a different path than everybody else.

I discovered that I don’t like syrup on my pancakes (just fresh strawberries), and I hate moving furniture in the middle of the night. I also discovered that I loved telling ghost stories and trying to understand why normal people did crazy things… which has lead me to what I love doing now, exploring personal growth and fiction writing.

Tonight, give yourself permission to wander and remember the joy of personal discovery. Because finding your new path could be as easy as taking a drive for midnight pancakes.