Which is the better choice, the destination or the journey?

Okay, yes I know….. this is somewhat of a rhetorical question, don’t you think? Of course the destination is the better choice, then why else would we go, well, anywhere? I’m going to expand this thought in a minute….. but let’s think of this first.

The destination is important when you need to be somewhere at a certain time, say…. attending a meeting, having an appointment, going to work, being at a wedding, etc….. the list is as endless as you want it to be.

But….. how often do we take the time to enjoy the journey that we are on in the first place? The time that it takes to get there? The time spent talking to your significant other, your kids or your friends? Do you always go the same route or can you or will you go a more scenic route? Just food for thought. Now, I’m going to tell you why these questions came to me.

Recently, I have learned to absolutely adore Google Maps! At 50 years old, I can definitely say that I am behind the times when it comes to technology, but I sure am learning! I first started using Google Maps when my family and I had gone on a trip in the summer of 2019 to the Smokey Mountains. (Okay, no snide comments here… my smartphone continues to outrank me in the smarts department, but it sure is fun to learn!).

We were making good time to get to our cabin (we were about 1 hour away) and then BAM! there had been a huge pileup on the interstate and none of the cars in front of us were moving! So, that is when I noticed that I could use Google Maps to see if we could find a route (that at least was moving) in order to help us get where we wanted to be at a reasonable time. It ended up that we so enjoyed the journey because we were seeing a lot of gorgeous scenery that we would have missed being on the interstate. So, in this case, (and all throughout the trip) we continued to go different routes with the help of Google Maps. This made the trip so much more memorable than we could have ever begun to think was possible!

So what did I learn? We will always have inconveniences that will come up in life, so the question is how do you deal with them? I learned that it’s okay to not be able to complete something on my timetable all the time and then something more enjoyable and fun may possibly come out of it, especially, if I don’t try to always control the situation.

Now, what can you gain from this? Finding joy can be as simple as taking a ride in your car with no destination in mind, sitting outside in a rocker and drinking your coffee while you listen to the birds, reading a book, going fishing, etc…. the list is endless. Think about what your interests are and do that. Try at least to do something 2-3 times a week to start. It doesn’t have to take long or be complicated, and guess what…. it just needs to be something that gives you a little bit of joy in your day!