Ep. 14 - I learned something, but not what I was expecting!

Where to Find this Episode:

Embracing the Unexpected Journey: Finding Clarity on a Solo Adventure

Ever set out expecting one thing and come home with something completely different — and somehow better? That's exactly what happened to me. I had a plan, the universe had other plans, and honestly? The universe won this round, and I'm grateful for it.

Setting Out With All the Answers (Or So I Thought)

I hit the road for Alabama with an agenda: visit my brother from another mother, get some quiet, and maybe — just maybe — find some clarity on where my career and relationships were headed. I pictured a peaceful weekend of deep thoughts and big breakthroughs. What I got instead was a masterclass in rolling with the punches, and it turned out to be exactly what I needed.

When Life Says "Not So Fast"

Let's just say the trip had other ideas. Between managing my diabetic supplies on the road and an honest-to-goodness flat tire, I got hit with one "okay, what now?" moment after another.

First up: my Dexcom sensors. I'd mapped out every pharmacy along my route like a woman with a plan — and then, right on cue, nothing went according to that plan. A sensor decided to quit on me, and suddenly I was on an impromptu supply run. But here's the thing I walked away with: adapt, don't react. One step at a time got me through it, and it turns out that lesson applies to a lot more than diabetic supplies.

The Moment I Found Out I Could Trust Myself

The real test came when I drove solo into the Tennessee wilderness. The Airbnb sounded dreamy in the listing — less dreamy when I was winding down endless back roads, following directions like "turn right at the cemetery," with zero cell signal and my inner voice asking, "girl, what are you doing?"

But that leap into the unknown? That was the whole point. Every flicker of panic I talked myself down from taught me something new about my own steadiness under pressure. Turns out I can navigate a lot more than back roads without a map.

Finding the Good Stuff in the Quiet

The hikes I'd imagined were a lot more rugged in real life - tricky trails, eerie silences, moments that made me feel very alone out there. But right alongside those unsettling moments were these little bursts of magic: a hummingbird stopping by, dancing to my favorite songs with nobody watching, the kind of silence that only nature can give you. Not every expectation got met, but what showed up instead was arguably better.

Coming Home Different

By the time I got back, I didn't have the neat, tidy answers I'd gone looking for. What I had was something better: real, earned confidence, and proof that I can handle whatever comes my way -planned or not. This trip taught me to slow down for the small joys, lean into the interactions that actually matter, and stop fighting the unexpected.

Here's to the Detours

Life has a habit of teaching us exactly what we need, wrapped in the last package we'd have picked ourselves. So next time you're on a back road with no signal - literal or otherwise - take a breath. The journey is doing its job. You can do hard things, and there's beauty waiting in the places you didn't plan to go. Cheers to that.