There is a famous poem by Robert Frost titled, The Road Not Taken, where he describes two roads diverging in the woods and his choice to take the one less traveled. As a mom, I live on the road less traveled most days, and I struggle to figure things out as I take each step.
But last month, Mike and I turned onto a brand new road, one that we had never taken before in our adult lives, and it has made a difference for sure.
We took a family vacation, a road trip to the eastern part of the United States. Two whole weeks on the road, in a minivan, with four children crammed into the back and a whole lot of patience crammed into our hearts.
We did make plans, for though I may love poetry, I also know the value of planning. So we booked all of our hotels ahead of time, and mapped out our path day to day. But we also left a lot of room to make last-minute changes, for that is where adventure lives.
We began at Niagara Falls. We walked all around the American side in the national park, and ended up on a life-changing bridge. We emerged from the woods onto a bridge with no rails and only a knee-high edge with rushing water only four feet below. A slip or trip, or child leaning over and falling in was certain death, as the falls were only 15 feet ahead. I have never seen Mike grab a hold of his children with such strength as we crossed that bridge, and we were both thankful when that was over.
We traveled to Lake Placid, N.Y., and spent time in the beautiful, quaint city shopping and exploring. We meandered into the Olympic Center and ended up with an official tour in the ice rink where The Miracle on Ice (US beat Russia) took place in 1980. I was sure I could hear the cheering ringing in the rafters.
We traveled through Vermont and New Hampshire, rode across Lake Champlain on a boat and drove through so many mountain ranges I lost count. We picnicked in the White, Adirondack, Appalachian, and Cadillac Mountains. Mike and our three older children hiked to the top of South Bubble Mountain in Acadia National Park and that was a huge accomplishment!
We stayed in Bar Harbor, Maine, for a few days and spent time meeting the locals and eating the seafood. We met Ollie (former owner of Ollies Trollies there) who is the Jimmy Buffet of Bar Harbor. We watched the sunset from the harbor, went to the whale museum and ate at Geddys. At low tide, we walked across the sand bar to Bar Island and collected sea shells and crab heads (dont ask).
We also collected about 50 pounds of sea shells at Old Orchard Beach and found three life-changing sand dollars that restored in me the persistence and power of prayer. And every step of the way, we felt blessed for having ventured out.
As a mom, it may feel like I live on the road less traveled most days, but to take each step with joy, no matter what lies ahead on the path, now that is living.
Oh, how I do love Frost: I shall be telling this with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence: two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
