Letting Life Be More Than the Daily Grind

Time is moving way too fast for my comfort lately. Somehow, we are already well into February and I am still wondering where January even went. It feels like I blinked and suddenly a whole month disappeared. My granddaughter will be 17 in less than two weeks, and honestly, that one stops me in my tracks. How did we get here so quickly?

I have a lot of hopes and plans for this year, though how they actually unfold is still a bit of a mystery. January kicked things off with a big adventure. I went on a cruise with my mom, aunt, and three cousins. We flew into Hong Kong, boarded our ship, and set sail for Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore. The beginning of the trip was chaotic, and there was more stress and frustration with the cruise line than I expected, which definitely took a toll on the first half of the experience. Still, even with all of that, it turned into quite an adventure. That whole story might be one I save for another day.

I am hoping to do a little more traveling this year, even if most of it is closer to home. In April, I am heading to Oklahoma for the birth of my second grandchild, and I cannot wait. I plan to stay for about three to four weeks and make a stop in Texas to visit my dear friend, Tabby, which is always an adventure in itself. Along with traveling, I want to be more intentional about staying connected with the people who matter most to me. The friends I have here at home truly are my lifeline, and I do not want to take that for granted.

That same intention to stay connected is part of why I will also be making a few trips to Las Vegas this year. I am looking forward to spending time with my mom and other family there, and I will also be helping my cousin with her business. She provides entertainment for corporate events, and I support her on the admin side. I helped out at a large event last October, and that was an experience I will definitely have to write about someday. Let’s just say it was memorable.

Looking ahead, I am even dreaming a little further out. I am starting to plan a small reunion of high school friends for 2027, hopefully somewhere in the mountains or near the coast where we can slow down, laugh a lot, and remember who we were before life got so full. I am also toying with the idea of taking a train tour through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland sometime next year. Even just thinking about that kind of trip reminds me that it is okay to imagine big, beautiful experiences for myself.

Lately, I feel this quiet pull to want more from life. More connection with family. More places seen. More small and big adventures. More actually living. The daily grind has a way of keeping us stuck in routines that slowly turn into ruts, and I do not want to live on autopilot anymore. I know I am a workaholic by nature. I can stay busy and let life pass me by if I am not careful. So this year, I am choosing to be more intentional about showing up for my own life, not just working through it.

What is one adventure, big or small, you want to say yes to this year?