Where The Road Leads

While I love lazy days at home, hanging out in my pajamas, reading, watching movies, or napping, I'm definitely happiest when I'm on the go. I love exploring, going new places, whether it's a new city, a new restaurant, or just a new place to stroll in the evenings.

It's probably from all those times growing up, no money for "real family outings," our parents would load all of us into the car and just drive. We explored the coast while we lived there, and then the hills of Eastern California, and then the mountain ranges of Utah. Sometimes it involved camping, but most the time it was simply steering the car onto a road we'd never been on before and seeing where it lead.

Hubster is not really a fan of this type of outing. The only way he really puts up with all my exploring is if I can tell him where we are actually going.

I'll have to hand it to him, though. In the past, there was resisting and groaning and rolling of eyes. Now, when he sees me clasp my hands and say, "Do you know where I want to go?" now, he just asks, "Where?" I think it must be the crazed light I get in my eyes when I say this.

Even Hubster admits, we've had some great adventures. We've discovered fabulous new places. So, this weekend, when I said, "Do you know what I want to do today?" he just smiled and said, "Where are we going today?"


And that is how we ended up spending a slightly rainy, misty day at Maquoketa Caves.



It was one of those days, full of the sound of rain, the falling of leaves, the beauty of nature and fall.


It was one of those perfect days, the ones that you spend time trying to recreate, but just can't quite get it right the second time.


Every path lead to something more beautiful. Each staircase begged me to climb it.



In the end, it was our soaking jackets and cold feet that brought our exploring to an end.

I think that's what keeps me going, what draws me out on new paths. Those days. The ones full of adventure. The ones where I see the delight in my children's faces as they feel for themselves the thrill of discovering what is just around that bend in the road.