I just returned from vacation. We elected to drive this year rather than fly. The consequences of this decision were both good and bad.
Good: We spent a lot of time together as a family. We set our own agenda. We counted a lot of Volkswagen Beetles.
Bad: We spent less time at destinations and more in between, and we didn't have an agenda, really. Freedom is a worrisome thing.
As a direct result of setting our own agenda, we made some questionable decisions. We drove from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Kittyhawk, North Carolina. We did this by the land route. There are other options.
Myrtle Beach was itself a questionable decision. Picture the worst aspects of any tourist trap, magnified by a thousand.
After leaving the mini-golf mecca of the South, we went to Kittyhawk, NC on the Outer Banks. This is an incredible area. The further off the beaten path, the better it gets. We went all the way north, up to Currituck. There, we saw the Currituck Lighthouse.
The next day we were to leave to go to my sister's in Richmond, VA, which was about a four hour drive. With that short of a travel time, we went back to Currituck the next morning and attempted to rent a jeep to go driving on the dunes, but they were booked up. So we decided to go south and see the Brodie Lighthouse. After Brodie, we decided what the heck, we'd continue south to see the Hatteras Lighthouse. After that, how could we not continue on to see the last of the NC Outer Banks lighthouses on Ocracoke Island, which is as far south as roads go. We were getting further and further from our final destination, but enjoying new experiences and seeing the best the Outer Banks had to offer.
To get to the Ocracoke Lighthouse, we had to take a 30 minute ferry ride. This was nice, and fun, but the day was getting away from us. We had to make the decision at this point to drive all the way back up, probably a time saver and better roads, or take a two and a half hour ferry ride to land in a Wildlife Refuge in the backwater of North Carolina. We took the ferry option.
On the ferry, my wife struck up a conversation with a 90 year old man who had been in the CCC and built some structures on the Outer Banks in the 30's. The structures were all gone, but he didn't seem to mind. He spoke over and over about decisions he had made in his life, and his lack of regrets despite the hard times.
On the drive that evening, I asked my wife to remind me at 9 p.m. how much I had enjoyed the day and driving down the Outer Banks. I had known my decision would put me driving later than I wanted. When I'm near the ocean, I love to wake up before dawn and walk the beach as the sun comes up. This is not conducive to good late night driving.
We arrived at my sister's house in Richmond at 11 p.m. I was exhausted. I had earlier made a decision to be uncomfortable, even miserable, in order to see and experience things I had never experienced before.
It was worth it.
I equate that decision with other decisions I have made in my life, especially more recently. I elected to move from a fairly secure job and take a chance on a new career as a teacher. I knew there were things about me, my personality and my outlook, my philosophies and beliefs, which might cause me problems in a public school environment. But I don't regret that decision. It was worth it, and it is still worth it, even in my current situation.
I equate what I am going through now with those last few hours of driving in the darkness. There is a destination for me, even if it is not clear right now. I am uncomfortable, I am nervous, I am worried. I am dealing with the consequences of my decisions. I am aware of mistakes I have made, but I don't really have regrets. I'll keep driving on until I get where I am going, and remembering the wonderful experiences that I have had.
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