Have you ever had one of those weekends that started out so promising before life started handing out curve balls? Well, the romantic getaway my husband and I had planned for the few days following the ACFW conference had one curve ball after another thrown at us.
- We had breakfast on Sunday at the Pancake Pantry in downtown Nashville, waiting outside in a line for a table. Light rain wasn’t a problem until I sent my husband back to the lot to pay for our parking. Being the gentleman he is, he left me the umbrella and trudged off in his light rain coat. As soon as he crossed the street, the heavens opened and he was drenched in a deluge.
- The zip line/obstacle course we’d been really looking forward to doing on Sunday afternoon was canceled due to the rain.
- On the way to our cabin near the Fall Creek Falls State Park, we had a blow out on one of the rear tires and had the joy of unloading the trunk and changing a tire in the rain.
- We had to backtrack about 20 miles to Sparta, TN to the nearest Wal-Mart to air up the spare tire which set us back so we had to search for our cabin in the dark with an address that was not on GPS but a hand-drawn map.
- It rained off and on on Monday, our first day in the park, so we hiked in the rain.
- It poured all night that night, so when we set out to ride our bikes in the park on Tuesday, even though the sun was out, the trails were slimy.
- We lost power Tuesday night at the cabin due to a thunderstorm.
- We had to replace our tires on the way home on Wednesday, which set us back a couple hours, making it impossible to make it all the way home before we started falling asleep, so we had to pay for a cheap hotel room in Fort Worth.
- Said cheap motel room had a broken bathroom door, so once I closed myself in, I couldn’t get out.
Now, I’m a firm believer in making lemonade out of lemons, so Wes and I laughed through this entire escapade. I channeled my inner feisty heroine and decided to have fun no matter what happened. Instead of letting our circumstances bring us down, we let them bring us closer together and made some marvelous memories.
On Sunday our pancakes were delicious and well worth getting wet!- The cancellation of the zip line excursion allowed us to spend a couple hours with my husband’s brother and his family. We had lunch together after church then went to their house and played a board game before getting on the road.
- The flat tire was a bummer, but the Lord kept us safe, and my hubby got to play the hero while my intrepid heroine self assisted in novel-worthy fashion.
- We made it to our cabin and felt like successful explorers in the process. We don’t need no stinking GPS!
- The rain during our hikes meant that we had the trails almost completely to ourselves. No crowds to block the fabulous views!
- We found a great paved bike path that worked well, and when we tried our first mountain bike trial, we laughed so hard we nearly cried with the crazy conditions. Yet we persevered and felt extra triumphant at our accomplishment.
- No power Tuesday night just meant more sleep as we prepared to leave the next day.
- Our extra stop on the way home allowed me to actually unpack some things before going in to work after lunch which meant I didn’t have to do it later that evening when I was tired.
- And getting stuck in the bathroom just meant my heroic man could save a damsel in distress.
No matter what life throws at us, a positive attitude will take us far.
So the next time you’re faced with a series of unfortunate events, ask yourself how your favorite fictional heroine would handle the situation, stride forward, and make some memories!
Piney Creek Falls
Fall Creek Falls
A pretty foot bridge along a hiking path.
One of two awesome suspension bridges we traversed.
We were too slow to take pictures of the several deer and two wild turkeys we saw, but we managed to snap a picture of this guy before he could scamper off. Ha! We hiked to the top of a gorge, walked out on the rocky outcropping that looked over the thousand-foot drop off to the forest and river below, and boom – there was this turtle. What in the world he was doing up there, I have no idea. Maybe he’d been climbing that mountain his whole life and was finally able to enjoy the view from the top.
The Cascades
Joy can be found wherever you’re willing to look for it.
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Great positive post and wonderful pictures. I’m sure this trip will be one to remember for a long time. Love your suggestion to channel a fictional heroine!
I tell you, it works wonders. Ha! I might not like the rain, but my heroines would be too plucky to let a little thing like that keep them from an adventure. Life imitating art, right? 🙂
WOW!!! That is what makes great memories!! Love reading this and the reminder that we need to make the worst situation a positive experience. Thanks!
Isn’t that the truth, Kathy? When nothing goes wrong, the memories just aren’t as strong. It’s the crazy, unexpected, and funny that seems to stick best. 🙂
Oh, Karen! That was a series of unfortunate events, indeed. I love your, “at this point we just have to laugh,” reaction. 🙂
We had looked ahead at the weather and knew there was a strong chance that we would have rain while we were in the state park, so I had some time to mentally prepare for having a positive attitude. I think that helped. It’s kind of like knowing the pool water is going to be cold and preparing yourself before jumping in. Makes the shock a little easier to handle.
Karen, that was so entertaining to read! All I wanted to say is, this shows what a fabulous writer you are! Of course I’m thankful it all turned out well. Didn’t Jesus also tell us the positive side of Him hanging on that cross???? I’m sure you are glad to be home.
Thanks, Hilda. Yes, I’m very glad to be home. Our adventure made for a good tale, but there’s something to be said for calm. 🙂
I loved your story, Karen.
Thanks, Lynn. 🙂
Karen,
I’ve been reading Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset. She’d be so proud of your growth mindset in today’s article, as am I, as a faculty member who talks about growth mindset in an interpersonal skills unit : ) Now it’s clear why your books have gutsy, resilient heroines and gallant gentlemen eager to walk beside them (and rescue them, when necessary).
So glad those swing bridges held.
Me, too, Leanne! I’ve noticed in today’s world that the voices I hear most often are filled with complaints and entitlement and woes about how life is just not fair. Bad things happen – that the consequence of living in a fallen world – but if we let circumstances steal our joy, we’re cutting ourselves off from our greatest source of strength – the joy of the Lord. I wish I could say that I follow this mantra all the time, but I fall into the grumps, too, from time to time. This was a reminder to me as well to keep the positivity going and to seek out the blessings even amid the hardships.
Fun! Glad you two had such a memorable break. This is one adventure you will always remember!
So true, Jen. 🙂
At the start of a 2 week trip of southeastern Europe in 2014, our tour leader offered us 20 and 30 somethings this bit: “Expect the unexpected.”
Great advice! Prepare your good attitude in advance. It makes everything so much easier!
Karen, I hate I didn’t get to go to the Pancake restaurant. Seriously great pancakes, but Marilyn Turk and I were driving through that same downpour after we stopped at Cracker Barrel. You adventure made me smile and made me proud. Way to soldier on. Sometimes the best laid plans get changed and we just have to go with the flow. Thanks for sharing with us! BTW, whenever a hurricane is threatening the Gulf Coast, I always think “What would my heroine do?” And then I buckle up and get to work on being brave!
It’s amazing how much that heroine fortification works!
Btw – Cracker Barrel is my second favorite place to eat for breakfast. So yummy!
Loved bumping into you at ACFW.
Great story! How lucky you are to have someone who laughs with you when things don’t go as planned. It sounds like y’all are a perfect match!
Yep – he’s a keeper. 🙂
I love your sunny outlook on your trip, Karen. It sounds like you and your husband had a great time despite a few plot twists!
The plot twists are what make the book of life interesting! Ha!
What a great attitude! I’ve found that a mere change in outlook can make the difference between having fun and being miserable. I’m glad you were able to enjoy the circumstances and that your husband was able to be your hero more than once. 🙂
Thanks, Phyllis. We managed to have a great time and still found to embrace the romance despite the circumstances.
Thanks for a thought-provoking post, Karen. I love your attitude. When crazy things happen, I always think that I’ll laugh about it at a future time. Sometimes that future time is soon, but sometimes you have to wait quite a while before you can laugh at it. Glad you had a great time anyway with your husband.
Thanks, Winnie. 🙂
Best post ever!
I’m going to remember this the next time life hands me lemons. 🍋🍋🍋
Thanks, Nicole! 🙂
What a great trek!Not as planned, but wonderful all the same! Making lemons into lemonade — that’s the way to happiness and memorable adventures in life! There’s just something about a silver lining in the cloud!
Amen, Bonnie! Sometimes those silver linings are hard to spot, but they are always there. We just have to train ourselves to look for them. 🙂
I love your posts Karen! 😊
Thanks for putting a smile on my face & reminding me to make lemonade when life hands you lemons 🍋
Glad you & your husband weren’t injured during your ‘series of unfortunate’ adventures.