Let it Flow - Presque Isle, Lake Erie
Last year for my birthday I took a day trip to Lake Erie. The main reason that we ended up going there was because there are a couple of dog friendly beaches which means that Roxy could spend the day with me and that's always something that I want to be possible. We went, had a great time, and ever since I've been thinking about going back.
Darrin and I pick a few goals for each season throughout the year that we want to do together. Going to Erie was one of them for this past summer.
Once the end of August gets here I am in panic mode and try to get everything done that I want to do before the snow flies again. I mean, we still have a while for that (hopefully) but there are things that I want to do when it's warmer than 50 degrees out and going to the lake is one of those things.
The perfect day came and off we went. Roxy's been in this weird place recently where she doesn't want to go for walks. She'll get leashed up and then once she's outside she becomes really nervous and plants herself down, not moving for anything. It doesn't happen all the time but it does happen enough for it to be a concern. Adding that factor into the mix, I wasn't sure how the day would go but I figured we'd try it anyways. Once we got there, she was totally normal and had the best time!
We grabbed lunch beforehand and ate it by the water. Then we spent the afternoon walking, splashing around in the water, meeting other doggies, and enjoying the warmth of the late August sunshine.
As dinnertime approached and Panera Bread was calling our names, we set off through the sand back to the car; another Erie trip coming to a close.
This is only the second time that I've made a yearly trip there but I can see it becoming a routine of sorts.
A simple, low cost day that holds such good memories. I find that this is often the case. The trips that I take; day trips, sleeping in the back of the car trips, sleeping in cheap hotels with only smoking rooms available and waking up the next day not being able to breath through your nose trips - these are often the times where I come out with such great memories. I'm not saying that trips where lots of money is spent aren't good, I'm just saying that a lot of money doesn't have to be spent to travel and have fun.
This is something really comforting about the routine of a yearly trip some place. I think that it's the fact that there is comfort in the consistency and familiarity of the place but each time is woven into a unique and different experience than before.
I think that's why I get so attached and connected to certain places (bonus points if you know where they are!). Gong back is a sense of comfort but the new experiences that the trip holds is a sense of fear and uncertainty.
Without expectations, which is a whole practice in itself, I'm able to have the new experience and hold it close to my heart because of the non attachment to the previous trip taken there.
Basically, I've really been trying to just let things happen as they do and sit in that experience for what it is.
Oftentimes it's good. Sometimes it's not so good. Ultimately it is what it is and it is what it's meant to be. It all flows, just like the waves on the lake.
