{"id":2017,"date":"2019-10-29T04:43:40","date_gmt":"2019-10-29T10:43:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/roxannemerket.com\/?p=2017"},"modified":"2021-05-13T13:44:24","modified_gmt":"2021-05-13T19:44:24","slug":"8-lessons-from-an-88-hour-adventure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roxannemerket.com\/8-lessons-from-an-88-hour-adventure\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Lessons from an 88 Hour Adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We just got back from a whirlwind adventure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

88 hours driveway to driveway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We covered over 1500 miles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We crammed 6 of us (me, hubby, 2 kids, sister, and sister\u2019s boyfriend) into our car with all our stuff and headed on the road.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was intense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it was so much fun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it wasn\u2019t smooth sailing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s 8 things I learned on our 88-hour adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things always go wrong.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I set up my vacation reminder on my email and included a little disclaimer: If an emergency comes up that can\u2019t wait until Monday, send me a text at XXX-XXX-XXXX.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within 2 hours of driving, I had THREE text messages from clients who had emergencies.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately I wasn\u2019t driving and could solve a few of the problems from my phone. One issue had to wait until we were at our hotel with wifi. One issue wasn\u2019t my problem at all, but I was able to talk my client through how to solve the problem <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Things<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s always a fresh look to a situation.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I woke up the morning we were leaving and knew I had to get my car ready to go. This was a road trip, after all. An oil change and tire rotation were on my to-do list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I got my oil changed and was told my transmission fluid was leaking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great<\/em>. I thought. I don\u2019t have time for a transmission fix today. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I took my car to get my tires rotated and balanced and asked the mechanics (who I trust more than the oil changing mechanics) to please take a look and give me a second opinion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, there was no transmission leak. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But my brakes needed to be replaced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They brought me out into the shop (with a sleeping baby curled in my arms) and showed me why they needed to be replaced. They knew I was leaving that day and they could get it done fast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I took a deep breath. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Take<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I knew it needed to be done. It had been on my radar for a while, and today just happened to be the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew I could be frustrated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or I could look at it with fresh eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How wonderful they caught it before I drove 1500+ miles with the most important people in my car. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safety first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I gratefully said yes! Please fix the brakes! The wheels were already off, they offered me a ride home so I could get stuff done, and I trust this shop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What could have been horrible wound up being a great blessing because I chose to look at the situation with fresh eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to find your happy places.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I live in the mountains, which I love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But on our trip we drove through the desert and landed at the beach. Both are my happy places. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I knew it. So I took the opportunity to stop at an exit that led to nowhere and breathe the desert air. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then I took the opportunity to put away my phone and enjoy the feel of the ocean waves on my legs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blissful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know your happy places, and take moments to enjoy them without any interference. No phone in between you and your happy place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Find<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Stop and enjoy the little moments.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On this same note\u2026 this trip – while incredibly fast – was full of hilarious wonderful moments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We went to an amusement park with extended family. As we headed back to our beds on the second night I asked my kids (aged 7 and 2) what the best part of their day was. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My 7-year-old listed several wonderful moments from the day. Spending time with her grandma. Taking auntie on a ride. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My 2-year-old said one thing: \u201cMy blanket!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This moment was so small and could be easily overlooked. But it was hilarious. I wasn\u2019t on my phone. I wasn\u2019t distracted. I looked him in his beautiful brown eyes and we giggled over the love for his blanket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"love<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Our reactions matter.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We were surrounded by thousands of people while on our trip. And I listened (because I\u2019m a listener and people watcher) as I heard some parents dismiss their kids\u2019 ideas, while other parents embraced the same suggestions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It doesn\u2019t matter, right? But to the kids it did. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I listened as kids begged to stop and just look<\/em> at something. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It didn\u2019t matter to the parents. But to the kids it meant everything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our ideas matter to us. Our suggestions matter to us. And when people listen and react, those reactions matter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when it\u2019s something as small as looking<\/em> at something. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our reactions to others make all the difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do we lift others as we react? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"our<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes things turn out better than we anticipate. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I made shirts for our adventure. I had this idea weeks<\/em> ago and knew exactly what I wanted. I could see a vision of 9 shirts, all matching with glow-in-the-dark designs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then I ran out of glow-in-the-dark vinyl. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so did every store within a 100-mile-radius. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And since I didn\u2019t have a car (see the brake issue above) I had to change plans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I ran with it. And the shirts – while mismatched in color – turned out amazing. The mismatched color added to the awesomeness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was so pleased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I could have let that one thing ruin the trip. But it didn\u2019t. It was amazing. And so well received!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to step back and listen to yourself.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m an introvert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t mean that I don\u2019t like people – I love people. What I mean by introvert is that I\u2019m energized by time alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So 2 days in a packed amusement park doesn\u2019t fuel me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And instead of ignoring myself (which I used to do much more frequently) I listened to myself and my needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I found moments to quietly breathe. (Bathroom stalls anyone?) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I allowed myself permission to feel drained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I also found ways to fuel myself so I could be at my best. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t forget to step back and listen to yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Prioritize your priorities. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This may seem obvious, but don\u2019t forget to prioritize your priorities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if your family matters the most to you, give them time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you need to be fueled by breathing in the desert air, stop as you drive through the middle of the desert and breathe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you\u2019ve learned how important healthy eating and drinking water is to your mental health, take the effort to do those things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll thank yourself later.\u00a0
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We just got back from a whirlwind adventure.  88 hours driveway to driveway.  We covered over 1500 miles.  We crammed 6 of us (me, hubby, 2 kids, sister, and sister\u2019s boyfriend) into our car with all our stuff and headed on the road.\u00a0 It was intense. And it was so much fun.  But it wasn\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2020,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[82,111,108,106],"tags":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/roxannemerket.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/sunrise-4106371_1920.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/roxannemerket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2017"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/roxannemerket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/roxannemerket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roxannemerket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roxannemerket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2017"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/roxannemerket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2017\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2027,"href":"https:\/\/roxannemerket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2017\/revisions\/2027"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roxannemerket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/roxannemerket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roxannemerket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roxannemerket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}