“Let’s get lost and see where it leads!” my Aunt Carolyn would shout. As little kids, my cousins and I would squeal with excitement at the Sunday drive adventures along the dusty dirt backroads of north Georgia. We would take turns sitting next to her in the middle of the front bench seat on the ‘hump’ of our aunt’s latest car, usually a Ford Crown Victoria or a Mercury Marquis, both equally boat-sized proportions to little kids like us. It was long before cellphones and car navigation, in the days of paper maps in books, but even those were thrown to the side. We were getting lost intentionally, taking different turns down new dirt roads through the countryside with no destination or timetable in mind. Choosing routes based on pure curiosity to explore and see where it came out. We eventually found our way back to main paved roads and back home, but each trip was an exhilarating experience discovering new sights, sounds, undiscovered history, alternative routes to known as well as new destinations and much more. I looked forward to those Sunday drives more than anything as a kid. And when I grew up and got my first car at 16, I enjoyed going on my own Sunday drives, getting lost, discovering new destinations and routes. And ever since those days, every time I felt lost, or needed some time alone to think through things, process emotions, decide on a path to take in life or in my career, going for a drive was what helped the most. I realized I could experience those Sunday drive feelings and benefits anytime of the week. I could take a Sunday drive any day of the week, and find the same new discoveries, new routes to my destinations, literally and metaphorically, and more.
As I get older, I don’t do too many long-distance drives like I used to enjoy, but I can still get out and do some shorter Sunday drives from time to time, getting lost intentionally to find new alternative paths. And those drives bring back great memories of childhood while also allowing me to get in touch with my intuition and consider alternative approaches to my personal and career challenges, goals, and choices. And even if I’m not physically in a car intentionally getting lost on dusty country backroads, I can also go for a virtual Sunday drive in my own imagination, sitting still in my house or any place where I can reflect quietly. And in those Sunday drives, whether real or imagined, my intuition speaks gently to suggest and reveal alternative paths that I may have not considered before, and more times than not, that helped me to realize career and life goals and dreams that I never imagined for myself. That’s the gift that my Aunt Carolyn gave to me all those years ago with her Sunday drives in the backroads of Georgia, and I’m eternally grateful to her for that gift that keeps on giving.
As always, I encourage you to think about how Sunday drives, real or imagined, to discover previously unknown routes and destinations may have helped you in your personal and professional life with deciding what direction to take. How often do you make time to just get lost and be curious and open to discovering new places and paths? What would it look like for you to experiment with Sunday drives and explore new alternative paths in your personal and professional life?
Life is crazy busy for many of us and only gets faster with each passing year. But I encourage you to slow down, take a breath, and go for a Sunday drive someday, allowing yourself to get lost and be curious about where the drive may lead. Listen to your intuition during the drive and afterwards reflect on what you experienced. You may be surprised at the new places, people, scenery, and routes you discover. Sometimes it is more about the journey itself than the destination, and all your experiences in the journey on those Sunday drives matter, because as always, your story matters.
