Wednesday, June 27, 2018

I'm Not Lost...I Just Don't Know Where I'm Going


I know that last time, I wrote about staycations, so forgive me if this post feels contradictory and/or redundant. But summer is road trip season, which has me reflecting on how fun it is to pack up the car and go exploring, despite my horrible sense of direction. Even with GPS and all the phone navigation apps, I can and do get lost. I read a news story a few years ago about a group of tourists who drove into the ocean because their GPS told them to, and I could completely relate.


Image result for Colorado Road Map Detailed


For me, there are two ways of feeling lost: not knowing where I am, and not knowing where I’m going. Sometimes they coincide, but not always. Last week, I realized that I’m aware of where I am and what’s keeping me busy, but I’m really not sure which direction I need to be heading. I’m feeling lost in a different sense. The “what am I doing with my life?” sense.

Partly this comes from being overcommitted. You know, when you’re busy with a hundred different things and feel like you’re not doing any of them justice? It’s very destabilizing and is starting to make me stressed-out and grouchy. So, I decided I should take myself on a metaphorical summer road trip and was amazed at how framing my problem in this way immediately made me feel more in control.

First, I need to map my route. I’ll spare you the boring details, but this basically entails breaking down my summer writing goals into a series of achievable steps. That’s not so hard, right? Add in a couple of side trips and stay flexible for detours, and barring any major breakdowns, I will be much farther along than if I stay put where I am, spinning my wheels.

Next, I should decide what to take. In addition to my own works-in-progress, I'll throw in a couple of novels I’ve been wanting to read, a memoir written by a friend, and a complete compilation of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Wine, sure. (Sangria, maybe, as it is 98°F at my house today.) Chocolate, of course. And, hopefully, equal parts creativity and problem-solving.

Now, what not to bring. That matters, too. Taking a parka to Las Vegas in July, for example, is wasted effort and space. So, I'm sorry, social media. You don’t make the cut. I’ll check in once in a while so you know I'm alive and well, but you aren’t going to ride shotgun with me, sidetracking my mental energy. Same for you, online news outlets. Mindless scrolling through articles that somehow change every day but don’t change at all is not the best use of my time right now. It will all be there when I get back.

The point of this “trip” is to get my writing squared away, so it doesn’t matter than I won’t get much farther than my driveway. As my new blogger friend Karen of Profound Journey put it, writing is more an inner journey than an outer one. (Honestly, go visit Karen's blog if you haven't already. She will inspire you for all kinds of journeys!) 

What would you pack for your metaphorical road trip? What would you leave behind?



10 comments:

  1. I can absolutely, whole-heartedly relate in so many ways. I, too, have a terrible sense of direction and I feel my writing/work lives are stuck in a perpetual roundabout. Your post has inspired me to make a road map and finally get going!

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    1. Thanks, April! Maybe I'll see you en route ;-)

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  2. Oh Jenny, what an awesome post. And not because you mentioned me, although thank you so much for that.

    It's awesome because I'm in exactly the same position and your way of framing your summer road trip is just so helpful. You gotta love metaphor, especially in the hands of a skillful writer like you. It turns foggy meanders over bumpy terrain into cruising a four lane highway (with detours of course) with plenty of sunshine, a gentle breeze and some inspiring tunes on the CD player.

    For my metaphorical road trip, I'm packing Julia Cameron's "It's Never Too Late to Begin Again", a variety of complementary books, my journal, art supplies and long days and weeks of uninterrupted time where I make myself the priority. I'm also packing healthy food (with the occasional icecream sundae with fudge sauce because it's summer after all), and daily walks with my dogs. Oh and my meditation cushion because I really truly need to start taking meditation seriously and make an honest effort.

    I'm leaving behind my list of shoulds, desire to be all things to all people, and too much time spent on my computer.

    Happy travels, Jenny. I'll be sharing this post with some other bloggers because we all really need to create our summer road maps. Thank you for writing it.

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    1. Thanks, Karen, for your great comment, and for linking to my post in your blog! When I read "meditation cushion" a little light went on in my head, so I think I'm going to have to get one of those! At this point, my meditation basically consists of napping :-) Happy "travels" to you!

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  3. What a lovely way of looking at it.

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  4. Hi Jenny, I'm a friend of Karen Hume's and she forwarded your post to me. I am feeling exactly the way you are in my life and your roadtrip sounds just what I need. Karen and I have been 'helping' each other and working through Julia Cameron's Artist's Way It is Never Too Late, so that will be packed plus a couple of novels because I love to read. It is a scary thought but perhaps I need to leave social media at home. I have only just discovered your blog but will definitely be following your journey. Thank you for writing this piece and also to Karen for sending it to me - it is exactly what I needed today!
    Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond

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    1. Hi Sue! Thank you so much for stopping by to introduce yourself. I've read many of your comments on Karen's posts and I look forward to further wisdom from you both! Happy road tripping!

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  5. Hi Jenny, also here via Karen. I love your metaphor of a road trip!

    Of course, I have many items in my possession that state "all who wander are not lost"...all from my husband. So your comments about being lost also resonated. We once drove in circles for 2 hours looking for our hotel...OK, it was in a small town in Germany, years ago (no GPS and faulty directions), we were jet lagged, and no-one seemed to speak English. That was by far our/my worst lost moment.

    I'm actually (hopefully) doing a few real road trips this summer...I'll be interested to see if your's and Karen's metaphorical ones are more fun!

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    1. Hi Patricia! Thank you for stopping by. Oh my, two hours of being lost... I would have been tempted to sleep in my car :-) Language barriers are doom to me; I have a hard enough time getting my point across when I'm speaking English!

      Safe, happy travels to you!

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