Maybe because I spent so many years playing baseball, routines are important to me. I like to know that everything is planned out in advance. When my wonderful wife proposed that we take a spontaneous trip down to the Oregon coast, I didn’t really want to do it.
As we’ve talked about before, part of my new challenge is to be open to every experience that comes my way. This would be stepping out of my comfort zone, but staying boxed in means that we never grow or change.
I’m thrilled that I went. It was absolutely beautiful, and I was able to truly enjoy what God has created for us. There is nothing better than experiencing that with loved ones.
It wasn’t entirely smooth. Because we went without a plan, we spent a long time driving around Newport looking for a hotel. I’ve never seen more “no vacancy” signs in my life! Every single place was packed to capacity. Eventually, we decided to just sleep in the car – which is a challenge when you’re as big as I am.
We were able to fit in a tour at the Newport lighthouse and even saw seals. We stopped at the Tillamook dairy factory on our way back – had to get me some of that delicious ice cream.
It was a wild weekend, but it was a great adventure with my family. My wife and I created new memories, and that’s truly what life is all about. All because I took the chance to step outside my comfort zone.
