Week 1 of 52
Yes you read that right. My first blessing of the year was that I drove in the mountains all by my lonesome without any assistance from a passenger or backseat driver. Let me paint a picture before you roll your eyes. I’m 37 (ok, still not building my case, I know) and a native Floridian. Not just a native Floridian, but generations back native. Flat land and humid weather run through my blood. While I’m an expert driver in afternoon thunderstorms and people going 30mph in the fast lane on the interstate; I’m not so much on mountain roads.
I’ve been to the North Carolina mountains more times than I can count. The windy roads, the losing cell phone service, the wondering if we’ve taken the last “wrong turn”. I’ve done it all as a passenger. Kind of like the whole “always a bridesmaid, never a bride”, but in driving. It’s been a running joke with my loved ones that I just want one shot at driving the twists and turns. Needless to say up until this point I was never given that winning shot. So, when I found myself unexpectedly alone in North Carolina, on New Year’s Eve 2022, 554 miles away from home, with no transportation and only myself to rely on, I knew this was it. Well, OK, I had Google Maps, my iPhone and Uber for assistance, so I was 2022 “alone”. The point is, I found myself as the lead singer instead of a backup singer. The starring role in my own life. Hence why this was so huge for me.
Up until this point, I’ve struggled with taking a backseat approach to my own life. Especially in 2022 which was a doozie of a year (more about that later). During the last year I felt incompetent, lack and unresourceful. I had felt just plain depressed at times, so it was fitting on the last day of the year that I would be presented with this situation. I had two options. Option 1, wallow in the AirBnb alone and Uber to the airport the next day and catch a flight home. Option 2, rent a car and drive. I chose the latter.
The rental company provided me with the cutest Buick Encore Small SUV and off I went. I drove the mountain roads the next few days before heading home. The sense of freedom and resourcefulness were feelings I hadn’t felt in a long time. I felt empowered and I trusted myself. I felt excited to explore and take in the beauty of one of my favorite places on earth (shout out to Jump Off Rock in Hendersonville, NC). I put the windows down and just drove.
I chose to do something I had never done before. I chose to do things different to get a different result. By choosing to stay in North Carolina, rent a car and drive alone, not only did I tap back into my bad-assery (made up word alert), but I also was given clear instructions for the next year. I heard loudly to do something different and experience something different once a week for the next 52 weeks. To get out of the rut I’ve been in and shake things up. While moving and shaking, I was also told to write each week about the experience. Therefore, here I am. Following God’s clear instructions all while creating something new for myself.
Disclaimer: During the creation of this post, I’m was singing “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow, this opportunity comes once in a lifetime.