Fear of the unknown is one of human’s greatest fears. Fear of hitting the open road on a fall day can include anything from a kaleidoscope of colours or involve the climb through the mountains in a white-out.

Just as in life we rarely know what is coming around the corner.

A road trip with a good companion, gives you the open space to explore your mind. You also learn that the baggage you choose to carry can save you or weigh you down.

After decades as an educator and adhering to a school calendar, I am now free of those constraints. I can take holidays when I want, make impromptu lunch dates on a whim, and sit in time without rushing. It is what most of us crave. However, it takes practice. Fall-ing Into a Mindful Road Trip is just what I needed. I did not have to return quickly to a desk on a specific day.

Our annual trip to run a race in the Okanagan was not rushed this year. We could leave our home whenever we wanted, stop to take photos when inspired, and listen to the silence inside (also because there are many areas with no transmitters!). We also carried as always our favourite podcasts and music where we knew the words, Trisha Yearwood, John Denver, Van Morrison.

Fall is typically not when people choose to get on the road; there can be long stretches when you don’t see other traffic. When 18-wheelers prevent you from passing on winding roads, when road conditions can be downright scary. And yet, we went.

Looking back on the road trips we have taken when we were younger, there is a certain privilege you earn along the way, it’s name is Quiet. There are no longer pleas from the backseat. The questions we hear are the ones that come from the inside.

You face the same concerns you did when you were busy raising a family, but now you have more distance to contemplate the right and the wrong turns that were taken along the way. You also have no one to blame.

When we stop for coffee at the The Modern Bakeshop & Café in Revelstoke, we notice that the staff have changed since we passed through in the heat of summer. What happened to the familiar faces, I  wonder? The new owners are more tentative in their questions, but I am grateful that they still carry the Callebaut Brownie, which I quickly cut into two (equal) pieces.

Through winding roads, you can spend hours in quiet with your driving companion because you have reached a place in your life that words can take a rest. But we both still marvel at the snow on the tops of the mountains this early in the season, and can break out in song simultaneously, making up the words if we don’t remember them.

Road trips are not for the faint of heart. Air travel would certainly get you there faster; you could forgo the worry of whether the rain will turn to sleet, which then could turn into snow. You learn to ignore the sign that says you are entering Avalanche territory. So many possible things that can throw you off course.

A reminder that Life is but a series of incidents. Road trips allow you to think.

As we reached the destination for our upcoming race, we recognize how comfortable we are with our surroundings. A good habit lets you relax into the familiar. We are relieved to see the sign that says that giObean will remain open this weekend as it has been closed in past years when we were there for the race. We plan how to fit in (at least) two visits during our three days in Kelowna. When we sit for our late afternoon break, Giovanni wipes the drips on the side of our cups with a flourish, places the spoons ‘just so’ because that’s who he is. 

Walking in town, we take some side streets to see the changes that have occurred. Inevitable. Surprising. Fascinating. New things are good for us. Except of course when it comes to food, we want what we want!

The Bohemian does not disappoint. It serves us its fare from a bottomless pot of coffee, Eggs Benedict, or any Boh Combo you like and provides an assortment of quirky customers to watch and enjoy. Spread their homemade strawberry jam on a bagel and you will be smiling all day. The Bohemian is worth the walk from the hotel, which has a different kind of suited customer.

We do the race, get our medals and new long-sleeve t-shirts and a few days later head out Hwy 5 to Jasper. It has been a few decades since either of us had been there. And yes, we discover more wonderful coffee! You mustn’t miss the Bear’s Paw Bakery tucked in on the main street that will woo you into choosing a delicious pastry or two.

Venturing a drive to Pyramid Lake, we see how fall looks there, how it drives out the summer adventure seeker, and how some stories are left incomplete.

We walk and we see. Mindful of what we don’t know, and what we will never know. Because we each make up our own story as we go along.  

Who lives here? Look carefully. An avid cyclist, a welder, a picker who found a bicycle in the back alley?

When we are not rushed, we see things that we might have missed otherwise. Road trips give you the luxury of time. Time to notice, ponder, stop, enjoy.

Here are a few tips for your next road trip and for your mindful journey:

Fall-ing into a mindful road trip will give you a chance to soak in silence.

Choose your traveling companions carefully.

Some stories are meant to be left incomplete.

Appreciate the small things that make you happy.

Search the side streets, often.

Be prepared but do not be overwhelmed.

Enjoy the ride.

by Gail Williamson

Gail Williamson writes at Found and Bliss about the mystery and magic encountered each day. At https://foundandbliss.blogspot.com, she shares inspirational words from the side streets of life, words that encourage and make you ponder. Gail has spent a career in fostering mindfulness and self-improvement and is now devoting her time to writing full-time. She fuels her pursuit of life-long learning with good conversation, great coffee and red wine, deep reading, yoga, making jewelry and hopes that you will join her for the ride. We are all connected! Keep looking. When you find it, make it better ©. You can find Gail at Found and Bliss on FB, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.