I often tell people I’m a terrible road trip partner. I shift around a lot, I drink a lot of water, and I get restless easily equating to multiple stops along the way. Or maybe I’m a great road trip partner because I like making stops and seeing things I otherwise wouldn’t see.
Last Wednesday I flew to Detroit for a road trip adventure with my pirate friend Lily. Our destination was New York for a wedding, but we left a few days early for some explorations. Originally the plan was to visit Niagara Falls on the Canadian side, but I dropped the ball as if it were a rhino corpse when I noticed my passport expired.
The day before my trip.
Two tangled haired gypsies barefoot on the beach
I choose my friends well these days and although it was a huge bummer, Lily had such grace about the situation and we quickly changed gears. Come to find out I could have gotten into Canada with my birth certificate, but I don’t want to talk about it.
Insert hands over eyes face here.
Instead we would stay a night in Erie, PA and explore Presque Isle State Park, with a pit stop in Cleveland for lunch with Meghan. What a lovely last minute surprise that was. Seeing Meghan was well worth the $250 spent on a Canadian hotel I never slept in.
Cleveland has amazing vegan options.
The state park is surrounded by Lake Erie giving miles and miles of beach to walk. We first tried walking through the woods because I naturally gravitate towards the trees, but the flies were so bad I began to question when the last time I had showered was.
I’m not much of a beach person, but I did enjoy getting sand between my toes.
It’s been a while since I rose early without work being the driving force for my alarm. The beauty of vacation is that you can stop to smell the roses, or rise early to catch the sunrise. Click here to watch my first time lapse of the sunrise.
Post sunrise morning walk.
While it was a big fat bummer we couldn’t go through Canada land, our plan B turned out to be a wonderful first stop on our adventures north. Pennsylvania was also the only place I found a co-op with vegan options galore. Needles to say I stocked up on treats and meals.
Somehow I saved this chocolate chip cookie for the plane ride home. Three days later.
Things don’t always go as planned, and sometimes we have brain farts loud enough to shake the sea. Some things end up out of our control, but our emotions and reactions are two things that remain ours to choose.
Take it from me, choose a relaxed mind, an adventurous spirit, and a slippery shoulder to let unexpected detours slip right off into the past.
Q: How do you deal with abrupt changes in plans?
Blissfulbritt 