I’m a planner. I like to minimize risk and surprises. I even enjoy planning and being prepared. However, I know that sometimes the unexpected happenings, the surprises, and the unplanned-for circumstances bring with them joyful serendipity. The challenge for me is to let go enough to let it happen.
I recently returned from a week-long road trip to Kansas by myself. I deliberately did not plan exactly where I would go, where I would sleep at night, or how long I would stay. This was very challenging for an anxiety-prone gal like me who likes to know what to expect!
Well, I have to plan some. Seriously. I can’t go completely anarchist! I packed carefully so that I could sleep in my car, if needed. Yup, you read that right. A 64 yr old woman preparing to sleep in her car! I cut out black posterboard to fit in my car windows for privacy. I downloaded the Life360 app which allows my daughter and son-in-law to track me at all times. It made me feel better to know that someone always knew where I was. I bought a very cool National Geographic atlas in case I lost internet and my GPS. I’ve always loved maps, so this was a treat. Other than that, it was the routine packing of some clothes, a cooler, and, of course, my electronic gadgets and cords.
Oh, and a piano. I packed a piano. Stop laughing, now. Wait, I’m laughing, too! I wanted this trip to be a trial “Studio on the Road”. If I needed to Zoom with a student or record an instructional video, I wanted to see if I could do it no matter where I happened to be!
As things turned out, I had one of the best trips ever. I slept in my car twice – once in a residential neighborhood and once in a Walmart parking lot – and was perfectly comfortable and safe. I found my great-great grandparents’ graves. I previously didn’t even know where they were buried but there they were in a tiny Kansas town. It took my breath away and I laid wild sunflowers on their graves. I am so blessed by Isaac Newton Dalrymple (Civil War veteran) and Salome Adelaide Kilgore Dalrymple. I went places I hadn’t planned on and took my sweet time. It was extremely rewarding.
About that piano – I did not need it for “Studio on the Road”. But! When I visited my Uncle Shaun, I found out that he used to play piano. I said, “Oh! I have a piano in my car. Let me go get it!” So, I did. And we had the most precious time together examining and playing that little keyboard. How blessed I am!
