The Road Less Traveled

My family and I have taken a couple of small vacations this summer already. We have put quite a few miles on the SUV and traversed an array of different roads and scenery on our journeys. Some of the roads have been nicely paved and easy to navigate. Others, well, lets just say they were a bit bumpy, windy, and far less populated.

All of this summer driving left some time for a bit of reflection.

Wouldn't life be a little less complicated if we all had nice paved paths ahead of us to travel?

Traveling through this journey of life is not always easy. It is full of highways, interchanges, traffic jams, one way roads, dead end streets and rush hour road construction. Unexpected road hazards pop up, and suddenly you need to take an alternate route to your destination.

You can stick to familiar roads on this detour and know that it will probably take you to where you need to go. The roads you know like the back of your hand can be traveled with out much thought or effort. You know the scenery and can probably predict the signal patterns and exactly how much time it will take you. The tried and true will get the job done.

Or you can take the road less traveled. You know - the one that you've always wanted to take, been afraid to take, or just not had enough time to take. This road is the one that has blind curves, pot holes and narrow bridges. This one leads into unknown territory, unfamiliar situations, and uncomfortable surroundings.

But for all the discomfort this road less traveled may bring with it, it also brings something else. It bring brings incredible adventure and opportunity. Navigating these roads hones our traveling skills, challenges and strengthens our sense of direction, and opens our eyes to scenery and perspectives that we didn't have before we set out on them. Even if the less traveled road does not get us to our intended destination, what we have learned from the journey will leave us with more knowledge and wisdom when we do finally get to where we are going.

Do you stick to the familiar routes or do you choose the road less traveled?