It was last week that I am now so glad I just did it!

I have always wanted to journey the famous Talimena Drive in Oklahoma.  It is a mountainous drive painted with the spectrum of fall colors in amazing splendor. 

A couple friends and I decided this was the year to finally venture out.  After all, it’s been a year fraught with crazy, the bizarre, uncertainty, and just hard.  No one has been untouched by stress, frustration, being forced to pivot, and loss.  Loss of finances, jobs and of course loved ones or friends.

Not surprisingly, as surprises have become pretty much the norm, one friend felt there was just too much to deal with as her yard was literally buried in tree limbs and debris as a result of the previous week’s wicked, unexpected ice storm.  Limbs blanketed the city and many thousands lost power.  And fitting for the year, temps broke records the last week of October.

Well, obviously, our trip was in question, only to discover that temps for the following weekend were forecasted to be in the 70’s.  Perfect!

Not so fast.

The night before, my other friend and I were raring to get on the road the next morning, only to wake up to her phone call she’d come down sick. 

What!!

What to do?  Reschedule? 

The forecast the next couple weeks – not so great.  The chances, the little cottage would have an opening – not so great.

What are you waiting for?  The same question that had come to me when I wrangled courage by the throat and stepped out into the unknown path of healing and scheduled my dream beach vacation – to Cozumel – BY MYSELF. 

Yep, I did!  I won’t go into detail here, but it was the most healing thing I did after losing my daughter.

Suffice it to say, I wasn’t going to wait around for anything for this little venture either, and changed circumstances weren’t going to dictate that I can’t have what I want.

I gathered my heart, bag and a tank of gas and was on the road.  I couldn’t stop smiling.  Traveling can take effort, but it makes me happy.  What can I say?

Not long before being surround by the bounty of fall colors.  There’s something exciting about an “unknown” destination.  The Talimena Drive begins in Talihina, OK and over mountainous roads to Mena, AR.  Thus, “Talimena.”

The only draw back of being solo is that I had to keep eyes on the road when I wanted to ogle the beauty.  And there weren’t many places to pull off, take pics and enjoy the views and weather.

With no wrong turns I came right upon the little cottage I’d reserved.  I entered, enamored with cuteness, comfort and simplicity. 

I decided to peruse the town and buy a bottle of wine.  I couldn’t wait to relax on the private and peaceful deck. I blissfully listened to light breezes rustle the plethora of colored leaves.

The next morning, I realized the drive to Mena was too far to drive there and all the way back home in one day, but why turn back now since I’d come this far, right?  If I stayed the night in Mena, I could leisurely see everything I wanted to see.

I began calling places to stay but in this popular time of year, they were few.  I finally found a vacancy and enjoyed every minute of the day and every ray of sun.

Upon checking in, I was delighted to learn that just down the road was a little Italian restaurant I knew would hit the spot, and could enjoy a glass of wine, as it hadn’t taken long to find that it was a dry county, and the restaurant was one of 3 places that served it.  Yep, can’t even buy a bottle of wine – anywhere!

It drizzled during the night and cooled off a bit.  I set out on the scenic drive making my way home.  I soon discovered fog had descended on the heights.  I was disappointed because the view was invisible. 

Wow, isn’t this apropos for 2020?  Yep, it’s like walking naked into the unknown.  Only I was driving and had to take it very slow.  I leaned into a guiding, inner compass.  That was the only certainty. 

Hmmm, we need uncertainty to guide us to call upon certainty.  If this year has taught me anything, it’s that.  In the midst of bizarre, call; in the midst of fog, call; in the midst of untruth, call.

As I slowly descended the mountain, the fog cleared.  I thought about how these mountains rose and canyons were carved.  How many thousands of years had it taken?

In these painful, uncertain days, hours, our lives are being carved out to create the journey of beauty before you. 

The Talimena Drive taught me that we can trust that we are making progress when we can’t see any of it.  No matter how many morning fogs covered these mountains, the carving and daily changes never stopped and never will.

The fog cleared and I was greeted by the bright sun, and trust that this is the way it always will be.

Making progress,