This is not what we had planned
Sometimes life has a way of changing our plans and offering up some unexpected edits to what we had in mind.
This was the day we had planned for the final hike of our trip, and one that most definitely hinged upon good weather. We wanted good views and minimal mud, please and thank you!
Things started to look a bit questionable as we drove through several passing showers on our way to the trail head, but this unanticipated change in the weather, though not what we had been hoping for, brought us an exciting surprise…
Rainbows!!! Tons of them! We probably spotted at least five, and many of them doubles (Can you spot the double in the photo? Look closely!) on this day thanks to the heavy clouds sharing their rain.
We began our hike, and the rain looked as though it was going to hold off, so we ventured further in on the trail, doing our best to expediently make it to the lookout point. From that vantage point, we saw the rain hovering on the water and knew it would only be a short window of visibility.
We got our photos and began the trek back just as the storm blew in, soaking us and sending us huddling in the crevices along the rocks, doing our best to keep away from the steep ledge.
Finally, we had made it back to the start, a bit wet, and ready for lunch.
We were looking forward to rewarding ourselves for this experience with our favorite and highly anticipated lunch at a delicious taco shop. In fact, the fish they serve in the tacos here is so delicious and beloved by the locals that it never makes it off the island to be exported! It’s that good. Yum!
We traded our muddy boots and hiking attire for a fresh change of clothes, found a parking spot, and got up to the door only to find a cute little sign that said exactly what we did not want to see…
“Closed on Mondays.”
Apparently this is a “thing” on the island with several of the places taking Monday off…unfortunately, we had not been privy to this tradition.
Now hungry and unsure of where to go, we began a new adventure!
Our wandering led us to discover two fascinating art galleries and eventually a charming local sandwich counter. It was open, seemed to be doing good business, and at this point, it was convenient…which had started to take precedence in our selection criteria.
We placed our orders, grabbed the last available table, and sat down to relax.
It didn’t take but a few bites into our sandwiches to realize we’d found a gem. The food was fresh, delightful, and artfully crafted into combinations that featured the local flavors.
The owner came out to check on everyone, we struck up a conversation, and ended up making a new friend.
We walked away from this day’s adventures with happy hearts…it wasn’t at all what we had planned, but it ended up being a wonderful, new experience.
In life, we have to be open to new opportunities that we may not be expecting. Change, though uncomfortable, can actually be the pathway to discover things that we may have otherwise missed.
Tennis champion and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Arthur Ashe said this on change in his memoir:
“Most people resist change, even when it promises to be for the better. But change will come, and if you acknowledge this simple but indisputable fact of life, and understand that you must adjust to all change, then you will have a head start.”
How can you find the rainbow in a seemingly rainy situation right now? Where in your life do you need to be more open to change?