There are times you just need to simply hop in a car and drive somewhere new, to go somewhere you haven’t before. This happens to us from time to time, and we have learned to just embrace the feeling and not fight it. Living in a new state, I continually have this desire. I want to learn all the corners, hidden spots, see the sunset in as many fields as I can. I want to get lost on back roads with funny names, and find the culture that lies beyond the familiarity of my city.
This feeling of chance, opportunity, and limitless direction that excites me. It keeps me sane when I begin to feel trapped. It is such a release just to be able to go for a walk without a destination in sight, or just hop in our Subaru and experience something I’ve never seen just miles from home. Maybe it was all the driving and freedom we found out west, or maybe I already was missing the ocean (more likely), but this last weekend we headed east towards the Outer Banks. We didn’t have a ton of time so we could only make it to the southern most point of the Outer Banks, Emerald Isle. So just after 1pm we got the itch to explore, took the dogs, lots of water, a blanket, sunscreen, and our sense of adventure and headed east.
It was 3 hours out and 3 hours back, but there is nothing I wouldn’t do to be near the water. The warm days in Raleigh have me craving the summer days on Lake Michigan. So, a long drive to the ocean will have to do till for now, until we have a chance to get back up north again this summer. Which means until I go back to my home waters, I am falling in love with all the beauty of North Carolina. This trip was too the beach but it could have been just as easily a trip to the mountains. The option of mountains in one direction and the ocean in another is quite an incredible thing.
This was a last minute trip, but it made a world of difference. In my heart I wanted to go on another crazy trip that I couldn’t afford, but all I needed was a quick adventure to set me back to myself. The trip was less than $100 with a tank of gas, 3-4 bottles of water, and a dinner at a classic bbq spot on our way back home. It was a simple thing. We only were able to spent just over an hour on the beach watching the water, feeling the wind and salty air in our hair and on our skin, but it was all worth it. We talked about how glad we were to step away long enough to soak this in.
Moments like this simple day are small things but it can make all the difference in your creative energy. Plus we realized our dogs had never seen salt water before, or tasted it lol. We make these moments bigger than they are, but they truly are easy and necessary. Jumping in a car with a friend and choosing to make the journey to a place you have never been before, whether to the other side of town or just to the ocean doesn’t matter, it is the act of going that is the big deal. I forget that, but our trip out west reminded me over and over again that going is important.
Small trips are something we look forward to. Sometimes they are spontaneous, sometimes they are planned, but either way they happen and every time we find inspiration, clarity, and new ideas.
So, we want to challenge you to each do something like this. Get out, go see the ocean, go to a new place, take the backroads, feel the wind in your hair, and take a friend or even go alone. Going is always good.
My tee is from Bridge and Burn, shorts from Madewell. Mike’s trunks are from Myles.
