Let’s Hit the Road

Every so often, you just have to pile into the car and take off on a good road trip. And I don’t mean a quick jaunt to the Dollar General to grab some breath mints or toilet bowl cleaner. I mean a drive on the open road to venture out and see what you can see.

I’m the restless sort. Nothing is worse than staying home on a weekend afternoon with nothing to do but deal with distractions. If the phone rings, it’s probably the wrong number or a telemarketer in Bangladesh, hoping to sell me a timeshare in Florida.

If there’s a knock at my door, it means some teenager just plowed into my mailbox and wants me to know how sorry she is. Just about all these types of interactions end up costing me time or money. I had a salesman once ring the doorbell at 7 a.m. on a Saturday, which was just annoying. I might even be a great cook if it weren’t for the interruptions. I answered the phone once while making three-cheese lasagna and am still unsure of how I caught the oven on fire.

So I’ve finally decided the best thing to do is not be at home as much. To pack the cooler on occasion and head out on the road with my family to some unknown destination. If I end up lost in the mountains or west of I-85, then that might be a good thing. There’s no place too remote for my GPS, and I can easily find a 7-Eleven if my Cheetos withdrawals get too severe. How’s that for a self-indulged, middle-aged road warrior?

I can’t speak for all scenery on the road, but the countryside in South Carolina, where I live, is Heaven sent. It’s not just the fact that we have thousands of acres of forests and green pastures to look at. That we get to gander at mountains and seacoasts or that the winding country roads can carry you to the ends of your imagination … and back. It’s that each time you set off on a journey, you discover something new.

Last weekend, my family and I stopped at an old graveyard in the shade of a wooded area near a scenic mountain town. The gravestones were so ancient, it was a wonder they could stand upright against the slightest breeze.

And just weeks before that, we were at the beach hunting seashells and anything resembling sand dollars or old sharks’ teeth. As I stood on the shore, I could feel the warm sun on my face and wondered aloud if this is what Heaven on earth feels like.

Now, I’m not going to tell you what you should do in your free time, but I can tell you that there’s a whole world out there God wants you to see. I believe we should give the Lord the steering wheel on occasion and see where He takes us, even if it’s just for a day or two.

If you can imagine freedom, then you can imagine beautiful blue sky, the hum of the highway, the blare of the radio, and the wind whistling through your hair. And if you can imagine the art of making memories, then you can imagine time well spent on the open road with your loved ones.

You don’t need directions or even a reason to go on an adventure. Just pick a spot on the horizon and let that winding ribbon of asphalt guide your way.

Happy trails.