Travel, Live, Explore: Finding beauty on the unknown path

Last fall, I received as a birthday gift from my sister, three cotton shirts. Each one had a different sentiment printed in a whimsical font. 

Love the Journey. 
Happy Camper. 
Travel, Live, Explore.

I grinned broadly as I held them up for a picture, and I looked forward to warmer weather so I could wear the short-sleeved tops. I was deeply touched that my sister knew me so well. She understood that not only would I love what the words said, I would act on them.

Yesterday was a hot, sunny day and Shawn and I decided to go for a ride in the mountains. One of our favorite things to do when riding is to find trails we haven’t been on before. We call it “making tracks” as we add new lines on our GPS maps.

I intentionally wore the shirt that declares Travel, Live, Explore because I wanted to embrace the spirit of those words. It would be a good reminder of how I wanted to frame the experience.



-- We were going to Travel by going beyond our daily locations.

-- We were going to Live by doing something that brought us joy.

-- We were going to Explore by following new paths to see where they would lead.

What did we discover? 

Lush, leafy plants tucked in a shaded grove. 



Fields of colorful wildflowers, a special treat this late in the season.



Mountain peaks, cliff faces, and ravines of green grass that are covered in snow most of the year.



Scenic views of the valley below, with tiny roads and patches of farms.



We found beauty.

When you purposefully act on these types of inspirational phrases, they become more than just cliche. They are revealed to be gems of wisdom that can guide you through life.

How can you Travel, Live, Explore this week?

What kinds of beauty might you find along the unknown path?

----
Some Doorways from last week:

  • Have you seen those flocks of small birds as they fly together by some magical form of coordination? Last week I had a flock land in my backyard tree and proceed to chirp and jockey for stable perches on the highest branches. Then after only a few seconds, they were off again with a whoosh, flying in a beautiful formation.
  • We celebrated Shawn's birthday with my family last weekend, and as soon as we walked in, we both received a big hug from my four-year-old nephew. Then he sat on my lap as Uncle Shawn opened his presents. It was a slice of joy!




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