Know how sometimes you need to grab life by the horns, dig down deep and work with everything in you to steer that baby where you want it to go? And other times you sit back and ride the current, allowing life to take you where it will?
That sums up my life.
Not only was the preparation for our journey hard, but we had many days when conditions were too bad to even pedal. We pushed our bikes many a mile!
I’ve shared before about how hard we worked to make our bike journey from Alaska to Argentina happen. Every single day for an entire year we plodded along, making lists and checking them off, each day getting closer to the point where we could fly to Alaska and start cycling. It was hard, determined, dedicated work. We wrestled the beast called “status quo” into submission and fought hard to get over the inertia of everyday life and make the change. It was worth every second we spent planning and preparing.
But sometimes, the tides turn. Sometimes, amazing opportunities land in your lap and all you need to do is sit back and enjoy the ride. And replace a roof, as the case may be.
We were very happy in our small house here in Boise, Idaho. After spending three years riding our bikes from Alaska to Argentina, I was more than happy to curl up in front of our wood stove and write books and work on my beadwork. Life was good. I had no intentions of ever leaving Boise again.
Then came the email. “Auntie and Uncle have decided their cottage is too much work. They’ve loved it for fifty years, but now they’re ready to sign it over. Are you interested?”
Interested? Say what?
A tiny little cottage tucked away into the woods on the Connecticut was ours for the asking. It was in dismal shape, but fixable. If we wanted it.
Owning a cottage wasn’t planned. It wasn’t even thought of. We had no intentions whatsoever of acquiring a cottage in Connecticut, but sometimes… well, sometimes you just gotta do it.
Sometimes life steps in and hands you lemonade. You just need to reach out and grab it.
When has life handed you lemonade? Did you grab it? Or run away?
-
City Hotels
If you’re looking for Liverpool hotels in great locations, look no further. Close to the Echo arena and the One Shopping Centre, The Novotel Liverpool Centre is in just the right place.
-
Business
If you’re staying away for work or holding a business meeting, Novotel can cater to all your professional needs whether you’re looking for hotels in Coventry or organising a training session in London.
-
Families
Our rooms are designed so that you can comfortably fit 2 adults and 2 children. Looking for hotels in Southampton? Remember that 2 children under the age of 16 can stay for free at Novotel.
-
Weekend Ideas
Spend the weekend exploring somewhere new, with hotels in York for local sightseeing or further afield, have a lovely stay without breaking the bank.
-
City Breaks
The UK has some beautiful cities with lots to do and see. Novotel Hotels in Milton Keynes, York, Southampton, London and many provide a perfect base to explore and enjoy your time away.
The hose of life has gushed sour more than once since I left my parent’s home and you know the funniest thing about life? There’s a measuring cup a third full of freshly-squeezed lemon juice gratefully received from a neighbor’s tree yesterday in my fridge Right. Now. Grab ahold and go for the ride, you will never know what you would have missed.
Lemons come in all colors, don’t they? For me they have had two wheels and eighteen, sails and oars, beards and bald spots… And yet we keep on gulping that elixir because there’s nothing else to do.
Thanks for sharing your stories, Nancy, successful, stressful, learning and teaching. You are a rare and wonderful woman with much to give and a gracious way of imparting what you know.
[Reply]
Nancy Reply:
September 5th, 2012 at 8:57 pm
@Lynda M O, I love your imagery! Great picture you painted.
[Reply]